Japanese protestors demand US base be moved

Thousands of Japanese have gathered on the southern island of Okinawa to demand a US Marine base be moved out of the region.

This comes days ahead of the first visit to the country by US President Barack Obama since taking office.

More than 20 thousand protesters gathered on Sunday at the seaside park of Ginowan. They say they will not let America decide whether to move the base or not.

Japanese Protestor, said, "It is absolutely nonsense to build another military base."

The row over the re-sitting of the Futenma air base threatens to stall a realignment of the 47-thousand US military personnel in Japan, and also sour defense ties between the two countries.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has vowed to build a more equal relationship with the US and said the base should be moved off the island during his August election.

Under a 2006 US-Japan agreement, the Futenma Marine base in the center of the city of Finowan is set to be closed. The plan is to replace it with a facility built partly on reclaimed land at Henoko, a remoter part of the island by 2014.

Washington wants to push the deal through as part of a wider plan to re-organize US troops and reduce the burden on Okinawa by moving up to 8-thousand Marines to Guam.

Although Okinawa makes up only 0.6 percent of Japan's land mass, it hosts about half the US troops in the country. Those who live near the bases complain of noise, crime, pollution and accidents.