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Japan Peace Committee calls for revision of SOFA

Representatives of the Japan Peace Committee (JPC) on March 17 visited the Foreign Ministry to request a revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) so that the Japanese judiciary can bring to justice U.S. military personnel who commit crimes in Japan.

Secretary General Chisaka Jun and two other JPC representatives protested against the decision by U.S. military authorities to release a U.S. sailor who committed a hit-and-run last December in Tokyo, injuring 3 elementary school boys. The female sailor was released shortly after her arrest because the U.S. forces claimed that she had been "on duty," and the U.S. forces has recently settled the case with a temporary salary cut for her.

A Foreign Ministry official told them that the government is not considering a revision of the SOFA.

Japanese Communist Party House of Representatives member Akamine Seiken accompanied the JPC members.
- Akahata, March 18, 2006