Japan Press Weekly

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2008 March 5 - 11 [US FORCES]

Organizing committee for Okinawan rally in protest against crimes by U.S. servicemen formed

Representatives of about 60 different organizations on March 8 met in Naha City to establish an organizing committee for an Okinawan rally in protest against all kinds of crimes committed by U.S. servicemen.

The rally will be held on March 23 at a baseball park in Chatan Town.

It was decided at the launching meeting that the objective of the March 23 rally should be to express Okinawans’ protest against crimes by U.S. servicemen, to request the Japanese and U.S. governments to revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces in Japan Agreement, and to consolidate and reduce U.S. military presence in Okinawa.

The meeting also adopted the following main slogans for the rally: (1) Defend human rights, (2) strengthen U.S. military discipline and education, (3) revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces in Japan Agreement, and (4) carry out substantial consolidation and reduction of U.S. military bases on Okinawa.

On behalf of the organizations that called for the founding of the organizing committee, Tamayose Tetsuei, head of the Okinawa Prefectural Liaison Council for Development of Kodomo-kai (children's association), stated; “Crimes and incidents by U.S. servicemen abuse human rights. The latest sexual assault on a schoolgirl took place in flagrant violation of the Constitution that guarantees human rights. If we do not speak out on this matter, we will lose the basic human rights in Okinawa.”
- Akahata, March 10, 2008