- 08 May 2019 02:02
#15003478
Nowadays, more than 70% of all US military bases in Japan, which are not beyond the control of Japanese jurisdiction, are located on the Japanese island of Okinawa. In this regard, the American military in 90% of cases with impunity do unacceptable things for many decades: constant traffic accidents occurring due to the fault of the American military in a state of alcoholic and drug intoxication, rape, murder, robbery, etc.
Thus, since 1972, when the formal sovereignty over Okinawa Island returned from the United States to Japan, an average of more than 20 incidents involving the US military, including more than 10 criminal offenses, occur every month on the island. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the US military committed over 4,700 crimes, most of which went unpunished, because they are only subject to the government of their country, and accordingly, they are not accountable before the Japanese court.
Moreover, even if a soldier’s fault in Japan’s territory is proved, Washington’s policy will always be greatly influenced by giving the desired to the real, «knocking out» from the Japanese court the minimum punishment for its citizens, or returning them home away from the Japanese authorities for the outrages.
Despite the fact that in October 2012, when two American sailors, being drunk, were arrested in Okinawa for rape and robbery of a local resident, the US military command imposed a temporary curfew for all its military personnel in Japan, the atrocities are still going on.
For example, in early April 2019, in the Okinawa Prefecture, one of the American marines killed a Japanese woman and committed suicide. However, despite the fact that the Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan, Takeo Akiba, strongly protested to the US Ambassador William Hagerti, saying that he was «extremely upset» about what had happened and demanded from Washington to cooperate in investigating, strengthening the discipline of the American military and preventing such incidents in the future, in response, Japan received only words of «deep regret» and promises of full cooperation with the Japanese authorities.
So, the Americans continue to «have fun» in their military bases on the territory of Japan, creating a threat to local residents, and the Japanese government headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cannot do anything about it. However, even if it could, it hardly went into bold measures, because of its weak character and fear of losing the favor of Washington, which is so important to official Tokyo that it is ready to not give a damn about its citizens.
Thus, since 1972, when the formal sovereignty over Okinawa Island returned from the United States to Japan, an average of more than 20 incidents involving the US military, including more than 10 criminal offenses, occur every month on the island. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the US military committed over 4,700 crimes, most of which went unpunished, because they are only subject to the government of their country, and accordingly, they are not accountable before the Japanese court.
Moreover, even if a soldier’s fault in Japan’s territory is proved, Washington’s policy will always be greatly influenced by giving the desired to the real, «knocking out» from the Japanese court the minimum punishment for its citizens, or returning them home away from the Japanese authorities for the outrages.
Despite the fact that in October 2012, when two American sailors, being drunk, were arrested in Okinawa for rape and robbery of a local resident, the US military command imposed a temporary curfew for all its military personnel in Japan, the atrocities are still going on.
For example, in early April 2019, in the Okinawa Prefecture, one of the American marines killed a Japanese woman and committed suicide. However, despite the fact that the Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan, Takeo Akiba, strongly protested to the US Ambassador William Hagerti, saying that he was «extremely upset» about what had happened and demanded from Washington to cooperate in investigating, strengthening the discipline of the American military and preventing such incidents in the future, in response, Japan received only words of «deep regret» and promises of full cooperation with the Japanese authorities.
So, the Americans continue to «have fun» in their military bases on the territory of Japan, creating a threat to local residents, and the Japanese government headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cannot do anything about it. However, even if it could, it hardly went into bold measures, because of its weak character and fear of losing the favor of Washington, which is so important to official Tokyo that it is ready to not give a damn about its citizens.