Successive incidents including a sexual assault by a U.S. soldier and falling of spare parts from a U.S. military helicopter provoke strong protests and denunciation from local residents in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

Of late, Okinawa Prefectural Assembly adopted with unanimity the resolution on lodging a protest with the U.S. troops and the U.S. ambassador in Japan regarding the prosecution of a U.S. marine stationed in Okinawa on a charge of sexual assault against a Japanese woman in March.

The resolution noted the need to promptly and fundamentally improve the prevailing situation in which women’s rights, dignity and safe environment are under threat.

It reportedly called for a comprehensive human rights education for the U.S. army stakeholders so as to prevent the recurrence of crimes, and also revising of the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement.

Furthermore, accidents occur one after another, seriously threatening the lives of local residents as the U.S. troops in Japan daily conduct aggressive war drills.

Recently, a bag of about 18kg reportedly fell from a U.S. military helicopter during a flight over the northern area of the main island of Okinawa.

The bag was allegedly containing spare parts of a life-saving raft, some inflammables and others.

With regard to this accident, the local residents showered criticisms:

If the bag had fallen on some resident’s head, it would have claimed lives; we strongly protest with a view to protecting residents’ lives; a thorough investigation of the case and effective recurrence prevention measures need be taken, etc.

Crimes and accidents of all hues caused by the U.S. troops are now commonplace in Okinawa. This is an inevitable result of the cruel master-servant relations and unequal structure between the U.S. and Japan where American interests are given top priority.

Having forged a subordinate military alliance with the U.S. after the war, Japan signed the so-called Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement, the core of which is to raise the status of the U.S. troops in Japan and give them preferential treatment.

As a result, the U.S. troops in Japan still swagger about as if they were extraterritorial beings even after half a century since Okinawa was restored to the mainland of Japan.

As long as the status of Japan as the U.S.’ stooge remains the same and as long as there remain the U.S. troops in Japan, the root cause of all misfortunes, the local residents will never be free from the related sufferings.