Japanese march to protest crime by US military

[Dutch Baka]

Japanese march to protest crime by US military

Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:43 AM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - Some 800 Japanese calling for an end to crimes by U.S. military personnel marched in protest on Saturday, a day after prosecutors indicted a U.S. sailor for killing and robbing a 56-year-old Japanese woman this month.

The demonstrators gathered in a park near a U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, and later held a march nearby, Kyodo news agency said.

"Not just in Yokosuka, but in cities with bases such as Okinawa...there are many incidents and accidents involving U.S. soldiers," Kyodo quoted Masahiko Goto, a lawyer who took part in the demonstration, as saying.

Japanese prosecutors on Friday indicted Seaman William Reese, 21, who was arrested this month on suspicion of killing and robbing Yoshie Sato on January 3 in Yokosuka.

The incident has come at an awkward time in U.S.-Japanese relations, as Tokyo and Washington attempt to hammer out a deal with local Japanese communities to reorganise U.S. bases in Japan in an attempt to make the U.S. military more flexible.

[DoctorP]

Well Dutch...any thoughts on this? Anyone can post a news story, but would you care to give us your opinion on this?

[Dutch Baka]

Well you don't always need to give an opinion!!! A lot of people in here don't read Japanese news, so I want to bring it to them..

But if you ask my Opinion, The U.S. Military should keep a better eye on its soldiers in there, because to many things happen! on ground that is not theirs

[Carlson]

*keeps mouth shut*

[Mike Cash]

Contrast the 800 protestors with the approximately quarter-million Japanese who eagerly visit the bases during the annual Friendship Festivals.

[DoctorP]

While I agree with you, I was merely pointing out that it is a far greater contribution to the forum when you post an article, you also post some commentary to go along with it in order to get the conversation going! Otherwise people could just read the article online without a need of it being posted here.

I tend to get quite tired of the negative news being written and posted so often on the American military. They do a number of good things in Japan too that never gets any recognition.

[RockLee]

Indeed CC1, but I think it's easier for people to be negative about something than positive It seems the negative points outnumber the positive. The recent incident with the murder of a Japanese women by a US soldier did no good to America's image

[DoctorP]

Originally Posted by RockLee

It seems the negative points outnumber the positive.

Quite the contrary...the positive outnumber the negative....it is just that people buy newspapers in order to read negative accounts, positve accounts don't sell!
That is a big problem with the journalistic community (IMO).

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

I knew a demonstration of Yokosuka for the first time.
I think that a foreigner living in Japan knows it
The police lead a Japanese demonstration.
Because a participant of a demonstration is work of left wing group, a participant participates perfunctrily.
They demonstrate on a holiday.
Because because participants of a demonstration do not gather
It begins in planned time and is finished in plan time.
About a case of United States Armed Forces soldier
I think that a very childish case occurs frequently.
As well as this case, a U.S. soldier in United States Armed Forces bases does taxi robbery
In the United States Armed Forces, a salary is cheap?

[Carlson]

Originally Posted by Hiroyuki Nagashima

In the United States Armed Forces, a salary is cheap?

im still dont have much rank..

but i get all medical and dental
free housing
free food
30 days paid vacation
and about $2000.00 a month

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

As for the salary, member of Self-Defense Force is cheap.
A salary of lower rank is 151,800 yen
About 1320 dollars
http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S27/S27HO266.html
A member of Self-Defense Force dispatched in Iraq
Dangerous salary (1 day) is 30000 yen (about 260 dollars)
I become 5,460,000 yen (about 43,478 dollars) only for danger allowance of a half year.

[nurizeko]

The notion of a crime wave by american servicemen is similar in nature to the western notion of an army of terrorists waiting roubd every corner to blow up your sweet innocent little baby or rob the elderly of their pensions and other welfare perks.

Its basically sensationalism used for political motives, that and blowing things out of preportion sells more newspapers.

Would george dubbuya bush be as interesting to watch if he didnt exhagirate foreign threats, or totaly lie about it altogether?.

[James8880]

It is really hard to keep an eye on every military American stationed in Japan. What the US NEEDS to do is make sure their actions do not go un punished. In fact, for that kind of crime I would turn them over to Japanese authority. People like that make the rest of us look bad and if the US military doesn't take it seriously or allow Japanese authority to take action then it makes us look even worse.

[TGI-ECT]

Originally Posted by James8880

It is really hard to keep an eye on every military American stationed in Japan. What the US NEEDS to do is make sure their actions do not go un punished. In fact, for that kind of crime I would turn them over to Japanese authority. People like that make the rest of us look bad and if the US military doesn't take it seriously or allow Japanese authority to take action then it makes us look even worse.

As I understand it the Japanese did take custody of the criminal and the Japanese justice system dealt with the crime.

Isn't that correct?

As for the OP, I also think that it should be policy that if you post an article you post a reason for the article being there.

This is a discussion site, not CNN, right?

.

[Uncle Frank]

In 1970 & 71 there were protest marches about twice a year every year near US military bases. They used to restrict us to base on the days marches were held to avoid trouble. They always told us they were put on by communist backed unions?

Uncle Frank

[Dutch Baka]

back to the topic you guys.

P.s. I made this thread 1 year ago, but thanks for the cnn joke ;)

[KirinMan]

Originally Posted by Dutch Baka

back to the topic you guys.

P.s. I made this thread 1 year ago, but thanks for the cnn joke ;)

Thank you for your "work" here.

Originally Posted by Uncle Frank

In 1970 & 71 there were protest marches about twice a year every year near US military bases. They used to restrict us to base on the days marches were held to avoid trouble. They always told us they were put on by communist backed unions?
Uncle Frank

Well there is still a major protest held here in Okinawa May 15th every year which happens to coincide with the Administration of Okinawa reverting from U.S. control back to Japan.

[jonathancameron]

Originally Posted by James8880

It is really hard to keep an eye on every military American stationed in Japan. What the US NEEDS to do is make sure their actions do not go un punished. In fact, for that kind of crime I would turn them over to Japanese authority. People like that make the rest of us look bad and if the US military doesn't take it seriously or allow Japanese authority to take action then it makes us look even worse.

The US troops are like the British, above Japanese law.

[Capster78]

Originally Posted by jonathancameron

The US troops are like the British, above Japanese law.

Tell me where you get this idea? Name any major incedent.. or even minor one for that matter where a US service member got away unpunished?

[Uncle Frank]

his irrational posts got him banned.

Uncle Frank

[A ke bono kane kotto]

Today there was a march of protest against the extension of a US base in Vicenza, in the north of Italy. It's funny that they were not protesting against crimes committed by US servicemen. They were afraid a bigger base would cause more noise and pollution. How often do Japanese use the ecological argument ? I think their concern is more about the dirty spot of foreigners in their nice homogenous society. Different cultures, different concerns.

[Capster78]

I have not heard much concern over noise or polution as there would be a military base here regaurdless the US was here or not. If we were not here, it would probably be a much larger base anyway.

[pipokun]

Originally Posted by A ke bono kane kotto

...
I think their concern is more about the dirty spot of foreigners in their nice homogenous society. Different cultures, different concerns.

It is just your ignorance. So far, three class action lawsuits has been filed against the noise pollution since 1973.

The point is not against the US government, but against the J government, and that the both parties, J/US, are trying to find more pragmatic approaches after the litigations, though the pace is a bit slowly. But I don't discuss them here.

Google can be your friend, for example, "noise, pollution, Atsugi".

[Pachipro]

Originally Posted by Capster78

I have not heard much concern over noise or polution as there would be a military base here regaurdless the US was here or not. If we were not here, it would probably be a much larger base anyway.

Originally Posted by pipokun

It is just your ignorance. So far, three class action lawsuits has been filed against the noise pollution since 1973.

You are quite correct pipokun and Capster is totally ignorant of the facts affecting average Japanese living near these bases. The governments of the US and Japan have even gone so far as paying for soundproofing of one room of houses affected by the noise. The sound proofing really sucks and does not do much to supress the noise and must've cost both countries millions. I know this for a fact as our house is located about 6 miles from Atsugi base in Sagamihara city and is directly along the flight path of US and Japanese jets taking off for training, both day and night.

The sound is overwhelming and after the tenth plane or so has taken off, one begins to get angry as the house shakes and it is impossible to continue a conversation or watch TV. Sometimes it goes on for hours. It only affects me when I visit and it is often for two or three days at a time and then comes the night training! My mother-in-law says that it sometimes goes on for days and is at least once a week or more when the carriers are in.

Most Japanese seem to just put up with it as a fact of life, but there are many who continue to complain and file class-action lawsuits to this day. I can't say that I blame them.

[DoctorP]

Pachipro...here they will soundproof the entire home, not just one room. This usually entails installing A/C's and air exchangers, and replacing the windows with double paned windows and changing out exterior doors too.