Japan Press Weekly

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2015 June 10 - 16 [US FORCES]

Naha City Assembly protests frequent crimes by US military personnel

The Naha City Assembly in Okinawa on June 15 unanimously adopted a resolution and a statement in protest against the frequent crimes and incidents involving U.S. military personnel and civilian employees at the bases.

The resolution and the statement protested against a case in which a U.S. Marines sergeant stationed at Camp Hansen was arrested after punching a man and stealing money on May 24 in downtown Naha City.

In addition to the sergeant’s arrest, in Okinawa, already six U.S. soldiers and civilian employees were arrested in eight days since May 30 for traffic law violations such as drunk driving.

As a major reason for the repeated crimes and accidents by U.S. military personnel, the statement cites that the U.S. forces in December last year changed its instructions on off-duty military personnel and drastically relaxed the restrictions on off-base drinking. “Now 70 years have passed since the war’s end, the U.S. military still enjoys a privileged position based on the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. This induces U.S. crimes and accidents,” the statement points out.


Past related article:
> US sergeant arrested for robbery [June 7, 2015]