U.S. soldiers under investigation for sexual assault in Okinawa, Japan
Rewritten Article:
AFP, TOKYO
Two US marines stationed in Okinawa, Japan are under investigation for suspected rapes, local authorities announced, adding fuel to escalating tensions.
With about 54,000 American military personnel based in Japan, mainly on the subtropical island of Okinawa, east of Taiwan, this is not the first time residents have been frustrated by such incidents.
A US marine in his twenties has been accused of raping a Japanese woman on an American military base in March, and is also under suspicion for causing bodily harm to another woman. According to a local police official.
A second marine, also in his twenties, is alleged to have raped a Japanese woman at a US base in January, the official added. Both cases have been referred to prosecutors for further investigation.
Washington has assured cooperation with Japanese authorities in these investigations, said US Ambassador to Japan, George Glass. "We highly value the ties of trust and friendship built over decades with our Japanese hosts," Glass stated.
Last week, US service members patrolled alongside Japanese officials and residents in Okinawa during a joint nighttime operation along downtown streets lined with bars. This was the first such joint operation since 1973 and was carried out in response to previous sexual assault cases involving US military personnel in Okinawa.
Another charge of rape was filed against a 21-year-old marine last year, just months after a 25-year-old US soldier was accused of assaulting a minor.
The Okinawa Governor, Denny Tamaki, has denounced the latest incidents as "shameful" and will appeal to the US military to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
While Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to comment on the specific cases, he emphasized that crimes perpetrated by US troops are "unacceptable."
According to news reports, the most recent rape took place in a restroom, and the woman injured was attempting to intervene and stop the assault on another woman.
Friction between the Okinawan people and the US bases has been an ongoing issue for decades. At the end of last year, 80 individuals connected to the US military were charged with various crimes in Okinawa, as reported by police.
This conflict symbolizes one of the historical challenges in Japan's relationship with the United States and the internal struggles the Okinawan government faces.
- The Governor of Okinawa, Denny Tamaki, has expressed his disappointment over the recent rape cases involving US marines stationed in Okinawa, proudly stating that such shameful incidents must be prevented in the future.
- Amidst escalating tensions,Okinawa's crime-and-justice sector has become a focal point in general-news discussions, as two US marines have been accused of assaulting Japanese women on US bases in January and March.
- Washington's assurances of cooperation with Japanese authorities in the investigations of these incidences have done little to appease the residents of Okinawa, who are tired of these recurring crimes.
- Politicians in Washington and Tokyo must recognize that the politics of US-Japan relations could be disrupted by the persistent issues of crime and justice, particularly those involving US military personnel in Okinawa.
