In Governor Denny Tamaki’s name, Okinawa protests a US military serviceman’s assault on a young girl to the commander of Kadena Air Base and the US Consul General for Okinawa, with no apology forthcoming from them. (28jn24)

Splendor of Okinawa: Great Bougainvillea, roadside Futenma, 10jn24


In December of 2023, a senior US Air Force airman criminally assaulted a young girl. So, on 27 June, Kadena Air Base 18th Wing Commander Brigadier Gerneral Nicholas B. Evans and the US Consul General for Okinawa Prefecture Matthew Dolbow visited the Okinawa Prefectural Office


To Vice-governor Takekuni Ikeda, they stated, “With deep concern over this incident, we will consider with our regrets how worry has been caused to everyone.” There was no word of apology.


In the name of Governor Denny Tamaki, Vice-governor Ikeda read out and passed to them the governor’s letter of protest, “Such a contemptibly inhuman crime, carried out by one of your US servicemen, is nothing but an enormously vicious trampling on a woman’s human rights.  It’s totally unforgivable, and the strength of our outrage will remain in our memories. In addition, this crime has caused strong unease among our prefecture’s people, in carrying on their daily lives around the bases!”


The governor also noted that from the occurrence of the crime in December of 2023, through the indictment in March of this year, until now, the Prefecture had not been notified, pointing out the problem of preventing a recurrence from that perspective.


The Prefecture requested cooperation in immediately attending to three items in its protest: 


1.Rigorously strict changes in managing the restrictions in its “liberty” system for servicemen going off base, with immediate lectures on measures to prevent a recurrence of such crimes and public notification to the prefecture’s residents of their content, including thorough educational management of their servicemen.


2. A suitable reparation in compensation to the victim carried out without delay.


3. Cooperation in reopening, as soon as possible, the “Working Team for Cooperation in the Prevention of Crimes and Accidents Involving US Servicemen and Military Related Personnel”.


After Vice-governor Ikeda’s explanation, Brigadier General Evans addressed the press corps for their coverage, stating, “The accused is under detention within the base. He hasn’t left base. Until his trial has been firmly closed, even his passport will be held in custody by the US Government. From now on as well, we will cooperate with the Japanese authorities.”



Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Thursday 27 June 2024 at 11:46.     https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/357212dbb239b56163e6d7273d4b58a42fc5f4dd


Denny in the News:

Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 


This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 


Any suggestion on improving my translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.


Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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