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Only the removal of U.S. bases can ensure the end of U.S. military crimes
Akahata editorial

The number of crimes that personnel of the U.S. Forces stationed in Japan committed between 1952 and 2004 exceeds 201,000. This number does not include those that occurred before the administrative rights over Okinawa were returned to Japan in 1972. The Defense Facilities Administration Agency made the data available at the request of Japanese Communist Party House of Representatives member Akamine Seiken. The number of crimes committed by U.S. military personnel in Japan showed a slight decline following the gang rape of a girl in September 1995, but it has been on the increase again since 2002. The recent incident of the molestation of a girl in Okinawa has enraged Okinawans.

Residents near U.S. military bases are always in fear of crimes and accidents caused by the U.S. military. This situation needs to be remedied without delay.

Japanese government's submissiveness is problem

Out of these 201,000 cases, 47,218 were committed by personnel "on duty" and 154,263 by those "off duty." These are the numbers provided by the government. In many cases, victims were compelled to feel that they should resign themselves to doing nothing against the offender.

Why do so many crimes and accidents occur involving U.S. military personnel? The problem is that the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) is very lenient on these matters. Article 17 of the SOFA stipulates: "The military authorities of the United States shall have the primary right to exercise jurisdiction over members of the U.S. armed forces ... in the performance of official duties. In the case of any other offense, the authorities of Japan shall have the primary right to exercise jurisdiction." An "on duty" certificate issued by a commander is sufficient to claim that the suspect is on official duty. Japan has no means to prove otherwise, and what the U.S. military claims is accepted.

The United States has the primary right to exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed by military personnel during their official duties. The problem is that the U.S. court martial tries to be rigorous in maintaining order in the military but it is lenient to military personnel's crimes against Japanese nationals. The military authorities explain that strict punishment will demoralize them. Between 1998 and 2004, 2,024 U.S. military personnel committed crimes or caused accidents while on duty. Only one was tried by court martial. A group of 318 underwent disciplinary action by the commander, which amounted to just administrative discipline. The remaining 1,700 criminals were left unpunished.

Japan has the primary jurisdiction over crimes and accidents committed by U.S. servicemen while they are off duty. In many cases, however, the Japanese government hands over its jurisdiction to U.S. forces. In July 2000, the government gave up the primary jurisdiction over an incident in which a U.S. marine broke into a house in Okinawa City to molest a girl. This is only one example.

What makes this possible is a secret Japan-U.S. agreement. In 1957, the U.S. Special Counsel to the President (Frank Nash) reported to the president that "Japan agrees that it will renounce its primary jurisdiction unless the case holds materially great significance to Japan," and this agreement is still in place today. Acts of trespassing, molestation, battery, and theft committed by U.S. personnel are excluded from Japan's jurisdiction.

It is essential to drastically review the SOFA, especially to remove the humiliating secret agreement in order to reduce crimes and accidents involving U.S. personnel.

There will be more crimes

U.S. military personnel numbering 28,000 in Okinawa and 14,000 in other areas are stationed in Japan. This is the primary cause of frequent U.S. crimes and accidents. U.S. military bases are heavily concentrated in Okinawa with many young marines feeling anxiety about being deployed to wars abroad. If the global realignment of U.S. forces is further promoted and Japan becomes a U.S. stronghold for U.S. preemptive wars, there will be more crimes and accidents by U.S. servicemen.

To eradicate U.S. crimes and accidents, there is no other way but the removal of U.S. bases from Japan. - Akahata, July 8, 2005