Okinawa governor expresses concern over "effectiveness" of SOFA revision
Xinhua, July 5, 2016 Adjust font size:
Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga said Tuesday that he was concerned about the effectiveness of the planned revision of SOFA in preventing incidents caused by U.S. military personnel following a joint announcement made by the Japanese and U.S. governments to narrow the scope of workers protected by SOFA.
The Japanese and U.S. governments announced Tuesday that they have agreed to narrow the scope of U.S. military base workers protected by the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), a bilateral pact that gives U.S. servicemen and civilian workers in Japan privileged legal status.
Under the 1960 pact, the U.S. justice system, instead of Japanese courts, has the primary right of jurisdiction over crimes committed by U.S base service members and their "civil component" if the accused was "acting on official duty," which is often criticized as overprotective of U.S. Base workers and giving them immunity from Japanese law.
The revised version of the pact narrowed the scope of "civil component" by restricting it to four categories: civilians paid by the U.S. government to work for the U.S. military in Japan; civilians working on ships and aircraft operated by the military; civilians working for the U.S. government and staying in Japan for official purposes related to the military; and technical advisers and consultants staying in Japan at the invitation of the military.
Regarding the change, Onaga said it was not thorough enough and he would continue to pay close attention to the negotiations between the Japanese and U.S. governments on the issue.
Statistics from local media in Okinawa showed that as of March 2013, there were 52,092 U.S. servicemen and civilian workers, with the civilian workers accounting for only 3.6 percent. Under the new pact, the number of civilian workers enjoying privileged legal status in Okinawa would only reduce by an estimated 10 percent.
On an earlier occasion, Onaga said that in order to solve the problems caused by the U.S. military bases, it was necessary to thoroughly review the SOFA instead of just revising the terms regarding the primary jurisdiction of U.S. forces.
Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine also criticized the planned revision of the pact as far from the request of the Okinawa people which is to overhaul the SOFA.
The revision came as anti-U.S. Sentiment in Okinawa, which hosts some 75 percent of U.S. bases in Japan, has been on the rise following a series of crimes committed by U.S. military-linked personnel including murder, rape, assault and a series of drunk driving cases.
Rallies have been held across the island prefecture, protesting against the crimes and demanding overhaul of the SOFA as well as removal of the U.S. military bases. Endit