Okinawa leader asks U.S. officials to curb military sex crimes

WASHINGTON--Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki called on U.S. officials to take stronger measures to prevent further sexual assaults by U.S. military personnel in the prefecture and to bolster information sharing.

Tamaki met with Nicholas Snyder, the director of the State Department's office of Japanese affairs, and Grace Park, the director for Japan policy at the Defense Department's Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Office, here on Sept. 11.

The governor said that the system for reporting sexual assaults to the Okinawa prefectural government had “completely failed.”

He urged “effective and transparent efforts to prevent a recurrence” during the meeting.

In the letter handed to the U.S. secretary of state and secretary of defense, Tamaki said, “As the governor of Okinawa, I sincerely ask the U.S. Department of State (and the Department of Defense) to understand the current situation in Okinawa Prefecture, and to actively work to prevent future incidents and accidents involving U.S. military personnel.”

After the meeting, Tamaki told reporters, “I think the U.S. side recognized the seriousness of the situation.”

Since June, a series of suspected sexual assault cases by U.S. service members have come to light in Okinawa Prefecture.

The prefectural government expressed strong concern as the incidents were not made public and the central government did not share any information with it.

Tamaki said the U.S. officials expressed regret during the meeting that such serious crimes have occurred.

They reportedly expressed hopes that establishing a new forum for the exchange of opinions among the U.S. military, the prefectural government and local residents would lead to open discussions and help prevent future incidents.