The U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) has been a source of myriad problems for the prefectural government of Okinawa and local law enforcement officials.
In some instances of accidents and crimes connected to U.S. military personnel or involving military hardware in Okinawa, the bilateral agreement prevents the government and law enforcement officials from exercising the same legal measures as they would ordinarily in Japan.
As a result, accidents involving U.S. military hardware have seen Japanese forces given restricted access to investigate accident sites and U.S. military assets, and in cases of crimes committed by U.S. service personnel, police officials have been denied access to U.S. bases to question or arrest suspects.
Along with calling for a change in this bilateral agreement, Tamaki, who became Okinawa governor on Oct. 4 following the death of his predecessor Takeshi Onaga, also urged the central government to reduce Okinawa's disproportionate base-hosting burdens.
Prior to his death, Onaga revoked a landfill permit necessary for the construction of the new base. Tamaki has said that he was trusted by Onaga, himself a staunch opponent to the base move, before his death, to uphold his wishes and those of the people of Okinawa and continue to block the central government's plans to move the base.
Okinawa hosts the vast majority of Japan's U.S. bases, yet the tiny subtropical island accounts for just a fraction of Japan's land mass.
【国际英语资讯:Spotlight: New Okinawa governor urges Abe to forego U.S. base move, fundamentally review SOF】相关文章:
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2020-09-15
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