2 Sailors Charged with Rape; Okinawans Cannot Take It Any Longer

A woman on her way home was sexually assaulted by a seaman (23) and warrant officer (23) of the American Navy. The Okinawan police and 1st Prefectural Investigation section jointly arrested the two sailors on allegation of group rape.

The woman did nothing wrong. This is an extremely vicious attack on women’s human rights.

　 According to the investigation, the 2 sailors spoke to the woman in broken Japanese, and when the woman ignored and walked passed them, they choked her from behind and dragged her to a secluded place, where they committed the act.

The 2 sailors are from a Naval airbase in Texas, and they had arrived from Atsugi Naval Air Facility (Kanagawa Prefecture) to Okinawa on the 14th. HAving finished their duties, they were supposed to leave to Guam on the 16th, the day of the attack.

The 2 sailors were staying in a civilian hotel and were to checkout on the morning of the incident. There is a lingering suspicion that they chose to commit the act on the day they were leaving. We hope the Prefectural police thoroughly conduct their investigation.

　 Just recently this past August, there was an obscenity and criminal injury incident on the Main Island involving an American Marine. Satoshi Kimoto, Minister of Defense, has expressed his intention to hold a Japan-US joint committee. However, to Okinawans the Japanese and American governments’ utterances of “preventing repeat incidents” and “tightening discipline” are nothing but performances intended to placate the prefecture whenever crimes such as these occur.

　 Why have the prevention of repeat incidents or tightening of discipline failed, and these crimes keep occurring? The joint commission needs to find out.

It has been 67 years since the end of the War. I wonder if there is any other region where women’s rights been threatened for such a long period of time?

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According to the Prefectural police’s report to the Okinawan Assembly’s Special Committee on the Military, there have been 127 counts of rape involving American servicemen, including attempted rape, since the return of Okinawa to Japan through the end of last year. This is only a statistical count. After the rape in 1995 involving 3 American Marines, Okinawans rose up for a rally. Even since then, crimes that victimize women have not ceased.

　 Before Reversion they used to say, “B52s in the sky, submarines in the ocean, and poison gas on land. Under the heavens, there is nowhere to hide.” The heavy burden of the bases has not changed since. “Ospreys in the sky, American Soldier crimes on land,” this has been the existing state for the past 40 years. The military has been consistently prioritized, as if citizens’ safety and peace of mind were not a thing.

　 The madness of placing 74% of all American military facilities in Japan on to Okinawa is seeping out. It is clear to see that kicking the can down the road will no longer work. Japan and America are ignoring the Okinawan’s demands for reduction of base burdens.

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At the 2000 Okinawa Summit, President Clinton said in a speech that he “intends to further reduce it’s footprint on Okinawa.” This is the reduction of the bases’ burden and effect. Also in the same year, Assistant Secretary Campbell wrote in a paper that “we put too many eggs in one basket.”

　 However, the reduction of base budrens has not be accomplished. This is becasue Japan continues to demand that American Marines be based in Okinawa. We cannot take it any longer. As long as the Japanese and American governments do nothing to reduce base burdens, the magma of discontent will surely spill over.