uscrime

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

U.S. military men constrain a tourist near Camp Schwab

Three U.S. military personnel on January 22 constrained a tourist on the beach near U.S. Marine Corps Camp Schwab in Nago City, Okinawa. The man was just making a fire, when he was constrained for about an hour, with his back pressed down on the sand.

The young man was from Hiroshima Prefecture touring Okinawa and, on reaching Nago on that cold day, had begun to make fire, when the three U.S. military men came out of the Camp and ordered him to put out the fire.

Though he immediately extinguished the fire, the soldiers demanded that he stamp out the letters "Relocate U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to the U.S." which he had written in the sand of the civilian beach on Japanese territory. They even forced him to write "Sorry" in the sand.

The three men also urged him to remove an anti-base ribbon tied to the barbed wire dividing the camp site and public land.

Members of the Nago Council against the Construction of U.S. On-Sea Heliport on January 26 visited the Camp to protest against their act of violence and demanded an apology.

However, the U.S. forces refused to see protesters or receive their protest note. The protesters visited Nago's police and city office and requested them to carry out investigations into the case without delay and to protest against the U.S. camp.

The constrained tourist said later, "I was surprised to know that Okinawa is still under colonial rule. Once a state-of-the-art air base is constructed at Henoko, such unjustifiable outrages will increase. I oppose the construction of a new U.S. military base."
- Akahata, January 27, 2006