Crimes of US servicemen in Japan - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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#14890649
Okinawa Island is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Southeast Asia and could become an excellent tourist destination. But there is one major circumstance: the war, which ended in Japan in 1945, continues on this island until now. More specifically, there are an American military base on Okinawa Island, supposedly protecting the peaceful population of Japan. However, the population of the island is constantly suffering damage and humiliation from overseas defenders.
It should be recalled that the American base in Okinawa has long been the cause of the outbreak of the local population that has flared up from time to time, but never fading. Moreover, most of the crimes committed by the American contingent in Japan fall precisely on this base.
The US military presence provokes discontent among Japanese citizens because of crimes involving US servicemen. According to the administration of the prefecture of Okinawa, over 5,000 crimes were committed on the island since 1972, when administrative rights to Okinawa were transferred to Japan. However, due to the local tradition, many incidents do not reach the Japanese police. The fact is that there is nothing more terrible in Japan than shame from the experience of humiliation. Because of this, many victims hide their fact of rape all their lives.
The Agreement on the Status of the Armed Forces, signed by Japan in 1960, grants US citizens who are on military service serious preferences. Among the "benefits" for American soldiers is the special legal status of a serviceman who commits a crime of any severity.
The list of crimes of the American military in Japan is great. Most of crimes is rapes, fatal accidents and driving in a state of alcohol and drug intoxication.
The loudest crime that stirred up the Japanese public was the rape of a 12-year-old Japanese schoolgirl by a group of American servicemen in 1995.
After this crime, about 90 thousand Japanese took to the streets with the demands not only to find and immediately punish the soldiers who committed the crime, but also to review the legal status of US Armed Forces. At that time, the command then did not dare to cover the crime of Marine Corps soldiers (they received 6.5 and 10 years of imprisonment). After this incident in 1995, the number of US military personnel in Okinawa was reduced, but there were no major changes in the legislation, statutes and structure of the military police.
In view of impunity, sexual crimes were committed and committed by American soldiers all the time. The last horrendous incident involving a US citizen in Okinawa occurred in late April 2016, when a member of the US military base Kadena raped and then killed a 20-year-old Japanese woman. A US serviceman was sentenced to life imprisonment for this crime by the court of the city of Naha in December 1, 2017. The fact of punishment of the American who committed the crime by the Japanese side is exceptional.
The last known road accident involving the US military occurred in November 2017 in the same Japanese city of Naha near the territory of the US military base. The culprit was a drunken American serviceman driving a truck. After crossing the intersection on a red light, he rammed a small cargo van. 60-year-old driver died of the injuries.
These cases cause discontent not only for the residents of Okinawa, but for all other Japanese. Meanwhile, there are more and more problems due to the presence of the US bases in the country. But Japanese politicians constantly convince residents of the need for the presence of US military bases in Japan. They use so-called North Korean threat as the main justification. But, at the same time, Japanese authorities simply turn a blind eye for the numerous crimes of American servicemen in their country.
#14891500
Political Interest wrote:The behaviour of American soldiers in Japan is a shame to all of Western civilisation.

The sooner America leaves East Asia the better.


The yanks are not part of western civilisation. They are barbarians. None of them read, they leave their ill to die in gutters rather than treat them, they combine schools and shooting ranges for convenience. They are just cavemen with technology.
#14891519
Decky wrote:The yanks are not part of western civilisation. They are barbarians. None of them read, they leave their ill to die in gutters rather than treat them, they combine schools and shooting ranges for convenience. They are just cavemen with technology.



Yes, America is a terrible place, don't come here! :D
#14891576
After this crime, about 90 thousand Japanese took to the streets with the demands not only to find and immediately punish the soldiers who committed the crime, but also to review the legal status of US Armed Forces. At that time, the command then did not dare to cover the crime of Marine Corps soldiers (they received 6.5 and 10 years of imprisonment). After this incident in 1995, the number of US military personnel in Okinawa was reduced, but there were no major changes in the legislation, statutes and structure of the military police.


Okinawa used to be an independent nation located between Japan and Taiwan and nationalists or right-wing extremists on the Okinawa islands nitpick on these minor crimes perpetrated by US servicemen, such as traffic accidents, to take their country back. The mainland Japanese are not very sympathetic about the plight of Okinawa residents, including the Japanese government. Thousands of Okinawa residents staged rallies in Okinawa to protest but the Japanese generally see them as dangerous extremists controlled by either nationalists or communists.

#14891883
ThirdTerm wrote:Okinawa used to be an independent nation located between Japan and Taiwan and nationalists or right-wing extremists on the Okinawa islands nitpick on these minor crimes perpetrated by US servicemen, such as traffic accidents, to take their country back. The mainland Japanese are not very sympathetic about the plight of Okinawa residents, including the Japanese government. Thousands of Okinawa residents staged rallies in Okinawa to protest but the Japanese generally see them as dangerous extremists controlled by either nationalists or communists.


You are full of shit. The Japanese don't care because Okinawa is a colony, jointly held by the US and Japan. Hence Okinawa has it's own language (though relatively few can still speak it, excepting perhaps the very old). That's why Okinawa is the poorest prefecture in Japan, and is also why they are stuck with so many US military bases on the small island. Japanese rightwingers support this, most Japanese would sympathize with Okinawans, but in the main part apathy prevails. Japanese don't usually question their government, so the government wants the bases, than the Japanese fall in line. In Okinawa there is a strong consensus that the bases should go, and this is reflected in Okinawan politics.
#14891919
While the PLA is certainly better in discipline (in fact they are probably the best disciplined forces in the world now), accepting them (which is probably inevitable if the Americans go) means an oppressive and aggressive regime will interfere you sooner or later.

Some price has to be paid.

If only the British Empire becomes great again.
#14891934
Patrickov wrote:While the PLA is certainly better in discipline (in fact they are probably the best disciplined forces in the world now), accepting them (which is probably inevitable if the Americans go) means an oppressive and aggressive regime will interfere you sooner or later.

Some price has to be paid.

If only the British Empire becomes great again.

Who did China invade last? As far as I know it was there own ill-fated, though fairly small scale, adventure in Vietnam. No comparison to the wretched USA.
#14891937
Crantag wrote:Who did China invade last? As far as I know it was there own ill-fated, though fairly small scale, adventure in Vietnam. No comparison to the wretched USA.


It's their system (political and economic), not their military. I already mentioned that PLA is probably the best disciplined.

China is eroding Hong Kong, and by extension, the good part of traditional Chinese culture. This is very much invasion to me, even though the procedures taken are usually legal.

Decolonization is not always good, especially by someone who cannot mind their own rear end.


(Anything below this line are added later for clarification)

China needs immense resources to go on. They inevitably need to get more, by military, leasing, or otherwise, just like all empires before it.

Chinese military is reputed in discipline, I just want to warn that if they get in, there are other stuff that locals probably don't like or even can't stand. Japan, Taiwan and south-east Asia all know better.
#14891950
Stockholm syndrome is a powerful thing. It can seemingly lead people to mistake envy for admiration.

Opium Wars anyone? Ah that's ancient history.

China can not be held accountable for imagined speculative future transgressions. Meanwhile, America is the most violent and murderous nation on the planet.
#14891951
Crantag wrote:Stockholm syndrome is a powerful thing. It can seemingly lead people to mistake envy for admiration.


That's right. A lot of people in Hong Kong have Stockholm syndrome and likes having their basic rights stripped away by the Chinese Communist Party. The ordeals of Liu Xiaobo, Li Wangyang and Gui Minhai will descend upon them sooner than they think.

The Chinese Commies are not murderous? Are you blind of all the civil wars they fought at the first half of the 20th century, as well as the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Protests?

The Americans are simply petty killers if compared to the Commies.

Besides I am not against killing if it can stop the "victims" from making more damage to the society. The problem is most people get it wrong when they kill.

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