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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Peace Committee urges government to take drastic measures to prevent U.S. military crimes

The Japan Peace Committee (JPC) has demanded a revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and the abrogation of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty as the most effective way to solve the problem of crimes committed by U.S. military personnel such as the recent sexual molestation of an Okinawan girl.

On July 11, three JPC representatives, including Sato Mitsuo, a JPC board of directors member, visited the Foreign Ministry and requested that (1) the Japanese and U.S. governments as well as the U.S. Forces apologize to the molestation victim's family and all Okinawans, and provide psychiatric care and compensation to the victim; (2) all U.S. forces be withdrawn from Okinawa and Japan; and (3) the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty be abrogated.

Sato said, "U. S. military personnel have repeatedly committed crimes against local residents. I must point out that many U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq are behaving in Okinawa as if they were still waging war in Iraq."

Referring to the recent sexual molestation incident, an official in charge of the SOFA at the Foreign Ministry said to the JPC representatives, "The government takes the incident seriously," adding that it already protested to the U.S. forces on the day when the crime occurred. - Akahata, July 12, 2005