Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki traveled to the U.S. for his fourth time to voice Okinawan concerns to U.S. lawmakers. Charges of sexual assault against U.S. service members was one of the topics discussed during a Defense Writer’s Group event in Washington on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Caitlyn Burchett/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki is taking aim at the U.S. military for failing to notify his government of sexual assault cases involving service members as he lobbies lawmakers to curb misconduct among troops stationed in his prefecture.
“As good neighbors in the same region, we need to know what is going on in the military side. … At the same time, we as our prefectural government, need to assure our citizens that we are actually protecting their lives and safety,” Tamaki said Tuesday at a Defense Writer’s Group discussion with reporters.
In recent months, two service members have been indicted on sexual assault or attempted sexual assault charges. Japanese prosecutors withheld information about the charges from the public and prefectural government until June, weeks after the troops were charged.
“The biggest issue that we need to face here is the fact that we weren’t [notified] of this. The information sharing system did not function at all,” Tamaki said.
Specifically, he said, the prefecture wants to know how the U.S. military confirms such cases, how accused troops are disciplined, and the contents and the frequency of sexual assault training U.S. troops receive.
The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, led by Tamaki, approved a petition in mid-July calling for changes to the U.S.-Japan status of forces agreement, the legal relationship between the U.S. military and the Okinawa population. According to Tamaki, the agreement excludes prefecture governments from receiving information about crimes involving U.S. service members on the island and gives prefectures no say in how such cases are handled.
A third case came to light last week. A 20-year-old U.S. Marine is suspected of sexually assaulting and injuring a woman in Okinawa in June, according to Okinawa Prefectural Police. The Marine is not in Japanese custody but is confined to military installations in Japan, a spokesman for the III Marine Expeditionary Force wrote last week in an email.
The Japanese government, the U.S. government and the U.S. military each have differing judicial systems, Tamaki said.
“The judicial systems should work hand in hand to punish these suspects. This should be a fair judicial system,” he said.
Tamaki declined to say whether the prefecture was notified of the third case in a more timely manner. The case, he said, had not been made public to the Okinawa community at the request of the victim.
In July, U.S. Forces Japan outlined steps the U.S. military would take to combat misconduct, including increased police patrols and sobriety checks and reviewing liberty policies.
“Recently, there have been allegations of misconduct that stand in opposition to who we are, what we stand for, and our commitments to the U.S.-Japan alliance. These incidents overshadow the friendship and professionalism we exhibit daily and do not reflect the intentions or actions of the preponderance of U.S. service members who serve honorably in this country,” read a prepared statement from Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp, commander of U.S. Forces Japan.
U.S. Forces Japan is also working with the Japan and Okinawa governments to hold forums in which leaders and community members can voice concerns.
The prefecture believes such steps will be effective at preventing further misconduct by U.S. troops, Tamaki said.
“But transparency is important — that they share what is going on with us,” he said.
Tamaki’s visit marked his fourth to Washington to voice Okinawan concerns to U.S. lawmakers.
“This is something that is very inhuman and is trampling the dignity of a person. Such inhumane and despicable crimes and heinous crimes that have happened are giving a high concern and anxiety to the people of Okinawa,” he said.
