Japanese citizens protest government’s silence over sexual assaults at US base

(MENAFN- IANS) Tokyo, July 3 (IANS) Hundreds of Japanese citizens gathered here in Tokyo to strongly protest against the Japanese government for hiding from the public the alleged cases of sexual assault involving US military personnel in Japan.

More than 350 protesters gathered outside the Foreign Ministry in central Tokyo on Tuesday night to express their outrage at the government’s silence, holding placards and banners reading “Okinawa girls’ cries silenced,” “Let’s restore Okinawan women’s dignity” and “No more government cover-up of U.S. troops’ crimes,” Xinhua news agency reported.

According to local media, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine from Okinawa Prefecture in Japan’s southernmost region was charged with nonconsensual sex resulting in injury in May, after a U.S. Air Force member was charged with the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a girl under the age of 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, only revealed the cases after they were reported by local media in late June, sparking widespread anger across the country.

“The Japanese government, and especially the Foreign Ministry, knew this but chose to remain silent. This is undemocratic. They are ignoring the Japanese people, Japanese women and the people of Okinawa,” Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, condemned in her speech at the protest.

“While claiming to protect the victims, the government is protecting the perpetrators,” said Suzuyo Takazato, leader of an Okinawa civic group.

Hatsuko Aoki, a 76-year-old protester from the Okinawa city of Nago, struggled to contain her anger as she recalled seeing her elders threatened by U.S. military personnel during her childhood.

“As long as U.S. military bases remain in Japan, such incidents will continue to occur,” the elderly citizen shouted.

“I cannot forgive the government for covering up the U.S. military’s sexual assault cases,” Aoki told Xinhua, condemning the Japanese government for colluding with the U.S. military to cover up the crimes, not only to manipulate election results but also to suppress protests against the construction of the new U.S. military base at Henoko in Japan.

In Okinawa’s prefectural assembly elections in mid-June, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito, which supports the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station to Futenma, won a majority for the first time in 16 years.

Representatives of several civil groups present at Tuesday’s protest stressed that if the assault cases had been revealed before the elections, the LDP would have had difficulty winning a majority, indicating the government’s ulterior motives.

Under a cloudy sky and a light rain, many citizens brought bouquets of flowers to the scene as a sign of solidarity with the victims of the attacks. Among them, Rei Saito, came to express her empathy as a young woman.

“What is even more unforgivable is that the Okinawa police have not reported these cases to the prefectural government. They seem to believe they can act with impunity, a trend that is becoming increasingly glaring,” she added.

Okinawa is home to 70% of all U.S. military bases in Japan, despite representing only 0.6% of the country’s total area. Crimes committed by U.S. military and civilian personnel are a constant source of discontent for locals.

Tragedies continue to occur decades after mass protests in Japan in 1995, when a 12-year-old girl was raped by three U.S. servicemen. “Okinawa people don’t know how much they have to endure similar suffering because of the Japanese government,” one protester lamented.

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