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After the rape of a young girl by three U.S. servicemen, women

take to the streets of Naha, capital of Okinawa, Sept. 22, 1995.

This editorial suggests that as far as prosecuting the crimes of

U.S. servicemen, things are far better today than they were.

 

 

Alleged Rape By U.S. Servicemen Handled Better than 1995 Sexual Assault (The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan)

 

"Circumstances have changed since the 1995 rape. Back then, the U.S. side at first refused to hand over to Japan authorities the servicemen involved, even though local police had obtained arrest warrants for their arrest. This time, police already have the suspects in custody. The two sailors are expected to be punished in accord with Japanese judicial procedure."

 

EDITORIAL

 

Translated By Ryuichi Sato

 

October 21, 2012

 

Japan - The Yomiuri Shimbun - Original Article (Japanese)

A visibly uncomfortable U.S. Ambassador John Roos after meeting with Japan Deputy Foreign Minister Shuji Kira over an apparrent rape committed by U.S. sailors, Oct. 17.

NHK NEWS VIDEO, JAPAN: U.S forces impose curfew on personnel in Japan, Oct. 19, 00:01:19 RealVideo

A wicked, mean-spirited crime has adversely impacted the Japan-U.S. alliance. U.S. forces must quickly take effective measures to prevent criminal acts like these from ever being repeated.

 

The Okinawa prefectural police have arrested two U.S. Navy men for allegedly beating and raping and a Japanese woman who was walking home before dawn in central Okinawa. The case must be thoroughly investigated.

 

The two sailors, who are stationed at a naval air station in Texas, arrived in Japan earlier this month and were scheduled to leave Japan on the day of the crime.

 

Last August, in the early hours on a Noha street, a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa sexually molested a Japanese woman. Should such crimes continue to occur, the stationing of U.S. forces in Okinawa, indispensible for maintaining the security of Japan, will become less tenable.

 

It's no wonder that Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima reacted indignantly by saying, "This is absolute madness." The U.S. military must urgently take concrete measures to deter further such crime on the part of its people.

 

Lectures on Okinawa

 

Today, American troops stationed in Okinawa are obliged to limit their off-base drinking, and are obliged to attend lectures on the culture and history of Okinawa. But servicemen who stay only briefly, like the two sailors who have been arrested, are not.

 

Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto and other members of the cabinet are seeking a meeting of the Japan-U.S. Joint Committee to demand that the U.S. government take strong disciplinary action.

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More comprehensive and effective measures for educating young American servicemen, both in the medium- and long-term, must be put in place, as well as tighter controls over when they leave the base.

 

Because it has occurred just after the deployment in the prefecture of the MV-22 Osprey, America's new transport aircraft, resentment among residents has significantly worsened.

 

However, responding to the rape and assuring the safety of the Osprey are essentially separate issues, the solutions to which should be pursued separately.

 

Which is why it is necessary for both Japan and the U.S. to make continued efforts to prevent accidents and reduce noise associated with the new aircraft, and work to lessen the burden of residents living near U.S. bases.

 

Local anger may increase

 

Okinawa government officials are concerned that local sentiment against U.S. forces in Okinawa could worsen significantly as it did in 1995, when a young girl was raped by U.S. [three] servicemen.

 

However, circumstances have changed since the 1995 rape. Back then, the U.S. side at first refused to hand over to Japanese authorities the servicemen involved, even though local police had obtained arrest warrants for their arrest. This time, police already have the suspects in custody. The two sailors are expected to be punished in accord with Japanese judicial procedure.

 

 

SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Okinawa Times, Japan: Okinawans will 'Spew Magma' Over Crimes of U.S. Forces
Global Times, China: Continued Dependence on America is Bad for Japan
Ibaraki Shimbun, Japan: After Osprey Deployment, Japan Government 'Cannot Be Trusted'
Chunichi Shimbun, Japan: On Okinawa Battle Anniversary, People Feel Abandoned
Ryukyu Shimpo, Japan: Okinawans ‘Unswervingly’ Against ‘Defective’ Osprey
Tokushima Shimbun, Japan: Okinawa Deserves Freedom from American Bases
Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan: Okinawa Governor 'Adament' About Osprey
Asahi Shimbun, Japan: Opposition to Osprey Deployment Grows
The Okinawa Times, Japan: It's Time to End Japan's 'Servitude to America'
Nishinippon Shimbun, Japan: It's Imperative for Japan to Look Outward Again
Nishinippon Shimbun, Japan: Revise ‘Inequitous’ U.S.-Japan Security Deal
Ryukyu Shimpo Shimbun, Japan: After Quake, Japan Can Ill Afford U.S. Base Repair
People's Daily, China: Australia Should Avoid Helping U.S. Hurt China's Interests
Isen Shimbun, Japan: Despite its Mistakes, Japan Needs U.S. More than Ever

 

[Okinawa] Governor Nakaima has once again demanded a revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. But in the latest case, the treaty, which restricts the transfer of U.S. suspects to Japan authorities, including servicemen, is not hindering the investigation.

 

Traditionally, the two governments have been able to resolve specific problems by improving the way the Status of Forces Agreement is applied. This is the most realistic approach and is most likely to allow for a stronger, more robust alliance.

 

CLICK HERE FOR JAPANESE VERSION

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[Posted by Worldmeets.US Oct. 21, 1:34pm]