STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE BY US MILITARY PERSONNEL!
DISMANTLE US MILITARY BASES IN JAPAN NOW!
STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE BY US MILITARY PERSONNEL!
DISMANTLE US MILITARY BASES IN JAPAN NOW!
We, the political prisoners now detained at the CALABARZON police regional headquarters at Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba, Laguna, condemn in the strongest possible terms the most recent cases of sexual atrocities by US military servicemen stationed in US military bases in Okinawa, Japan. The rape cases of an Okinawan schoolgirl and a Filipina migrant worker last February 2008 only manifest the difficult, dirty and dangerous living of people near US military bases – the physical and psychological terror unleashed on hapless citizens of host communities by conquering imperialist troops.
The bestial rape and murder of civilians, women and children by US military troops happen every now and then – in Okinawa, in Hiroshima, in Sasebo, in Clark, in Subic, in Turkey, in Germany, in Iceland, in Britain – anywhere and everywhere there are US military bases and facilities. Sexual violence by US troops on women and children is the most dastardly act of violation of sovereignty of the host country by the stationed imperialist thugs and hooligans.
And crimes such as rape are repeated with impunity because US troops are not covered by effective penal jurisdiction by the host country, as contained in various Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) or Visiting Forces Agreement –soldier – rapists or soldier – murderers effectively evade punitive actions after a diplomatic apology.
The SOFA and VFA are in turn covered by US-Japan military alliance or the USJapan Security Treaty which provides for the stationing of US troops, aircraft, navy ships, nuclear weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction on Japanese soil. The US military bases in Japan serves as a forward deployment base and as armed deterrent against nuclear-armed China or Russia. Thus maintaining the “balance of terror” among imperialist and nuclear powers in East Asia and the Pacific Rim. Thus Japan is known as the US largest aircraft carrier in the whole world.
The presence of US military bases and troops on Japanese soil is a direct affront to your sovereignty and national dignity as a free nation, and to the sovereignty of all other nations and countries which were forced, threatened and cajoled in hosting US troops and bases in the land and seas.
Through the AWC-Japan, we join the sovereign Japanese people in demanding:
1. Punish the US military men involved in the twin Okinawa rape cases of an Okinawan schoolgirl and Filipina migrant worker last February 2008;
2. Abrogate the Japan-US military alliance and the Japan-US Security
Treaty;
3. Dismantle all US military bases in Japan now.
In Solidarity,
RIEL CUSTODIO
AXEL PINPIN
ARIS SARMIENTO
Political Prisoners
Camp Vicente Lim,
Calamba, Laguna
Philippines