DPJ Wants To Revise SOFA

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: DPJ urges pre-indictment handover of U.S. soldiers
The Democratic Party of Japan has drawn up a proposal to revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement in the wake of accusations of rape leveled against a U.S. marine in Okinawa Prefecture. The proposal stipulates that the United States hand over U.S. military personnel accused of committing crimes or causing accidents to Japanese investigative authorities before they are indicted, and requires U.S. military personnel and their families living outside U.S. bases to register with local governments under the Alien Registration Law. The DPJ coordinated its opinion with the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party, and the three parties compiled an integrated proposal. They are expected to ask the government to revise the agreement stipulating the legal status of U.S. military stationed in Japan. The operation of the Japan-U.S. agreement was improved in 1995 to require the United States to "give sympathetic consideration to any request for the transfer of custody prior to indictment of the accused which may be made by Japan in specific cases of heinous crimes of murder or rape" when the accused is on a U.S. base or under U.S. authority. The DPJ proposal, which argues that procedures under the agreement should be more clearly defined, stipulates that the U.S. military agree to Japan's request to hand over the accused before indictment.

[Greji]

Yomiuri: DPJ urges pre-indictment handover of U.S. soldiers
The Democratic Party of Japan has drawn up a proposal to revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement in the wake of accusations of rape leveled against a U.S. marine in Okinawa Prefecture. The proposal stipulates that the United States hand over U.S. military personnel accused of committing crimes or causing accidents to Japanese investigative authorities before they are indicted, and requires U.S. military personnel and their families living outside U.S. bases to register with local governments under the Alien Registration Law.

The left has brought this up numerous times in the past. It is usually timed with some particularly bad incident that has gotten a lot of negative press (deserved, or not).

It is usually stalled in the joint committee and disappears from there. It usually was (and maybe this time as well) authored by an individual, who was against the Security Treaty in total.

The salient point is always that if the J-people apprehend a SOFA military member, in the presence of the US authorities, they must turn him over to the military . The military will make him available for any interrogations by the J-authorities up until the indictment. If the cops catch the dude of base alone they can keep him the full 23 days as appropriate. If the individual is indicted, the member goes to the J-slammer until court, if the cops want him incarcerated. Sometimes they do not care after the indictment. They want him in jail before hand as an interview aide to get a confession and to insure indictment.

What most Japanese do not realize, is that if the SOFA person is not a member of the uniformed military, i.e. a family member, member of the civilian component etc., the J-police may take them at will with an on the scene arrest, pursuant to a warrant, or any probably cause to arrest. They go directly to jail, do not pass go and do not receive $200.00 dollars and they do not get out until the cases is litigated, or the charges are dropped by the procurator.

This could be just another attempt to "drive" the US military out of Japan. But US authorities are well aware of the interrogation game and I do not see them giving in on this point.

The gaijiroroku is a dog that won't hunt. SOFA status is a granted Visa. They will have to change the entire process for all SOFA members, not just the one's residing off base.

But, who knows, maybe they'll get lucky and get Yankee go home, which will take a very large number of companies, contractors, investment and money right out of Japan like flushing a toilet and about as fast. It will also put an estimated 20-30,000 Japanese (if not more) out of work rather rapidly. I don't think the left fully expects this to occur simply because it never has, but I also don't think they realize there is a a slighty growing lobby to vacate Japan for other parts and they might just be helping it to Japan's detrimate.