Governors PR Conference makes special appeal to both the Japanese and US Governments on the continually occurring sexual assaults by US troops, to prevent any “extremely deplorable” recurrence and to thoroughly inform local municipalities. (26jy24)

Splendor of Okinawa: Poinsettia, roadside Uruma 26ja24


On 24 July, the Governors PR Conference (chair: Kanagawa Prefecture Governor Yuji Kuroiwa), comprised of 15 governors of prefectures hosting US Military facilities, appealed to the US Ambassador to Japan, the Defense Ministry, and the Foreign Ministry  to solve the issues of the bases that they encompass.


In response to the string of assault crimes in their prefectures by US troops, the committee appealed for the construction of a system to address recurrence prevention, pointing out the extreme gravity of the  crimes that occasioned their appeal.


Moreover, last November, a US Air Force CV22 Osprey transport aircraft crashed into the offing at Yaku Island in Kagoshima Prefecture. The committee requested that further flights be halted until thorough information is provided on such matters as the cause of the accident and the response to it. Chairman Kuroiwa and Vice-chairman Governor Denny Tamaki among others participated.


The conference pointed out that in crimes of assault by US troops, “responses  after the crime could not be gotten, and assurances of security could not be worked out for regional and mutually related organizations” without a relay of information to  the prefectures. In order to plan a speedy response, the committee requested thorough communications with relevant municipalities, with concern for privacy as well. 


Among the items in this special appeal were:

  1. that a venue be newly established to arrange consultations on policies among the National Government, relevant municipalities, the US Military, and such.

  2. That strict limits be established for leaving bases.

  3. That suitable compensation and such be granted to victims. 


In the formal documented appeal, the committee newly added matters regarding the problem of the discovery of high levels of PFAS pollution around the US bases, requesting that the National Government bear the expense of cleanup.


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Wednesday 24 July 2024. Byline:  Manato Akira

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/05d14248217f8bf5c874977af7bc09ebc06b0ea3


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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