2 U.S. sailors arrested for rape in Okinawa, Japan

Two U.S. Navy Sailors have been charged with the assault and rape of a Japanese woman in Okinawa, Japan. The two men attacked the woman on roadside as she was walking home and led to injuries on her neck. The act happened two weeks after the arrival of  new Marine Corp aircraft on the American base in Okinawa. The base holds about 50,000 American military men, adding to the overcrowding of the Japanese city. The base is unwanted by Japanese citizens and they are increasingly getting more enraged. The crime the two sailors committed has caused even more anger and now there is worry that there will be protest. Three years ago Japanese Prime Minister promised the removal of the base, and when it didn’t go through people would fly kites near the base in protest. The media has heavily covered the base and crimes that are committed by American military personnel. This isn’t the first time rape happened by American soldiers in Okinawa. In 1995 three American soldiers raped a 12 year old school girl, and this also led to mass protest. The American Ambassador to Japan is extremely concerned he states “These allegations, given their seriousness, will continue to command my full personal attention,” when talking to the press.

I feel awful that our military is taking advantage of civilians overseas. I think rape is an awful thing, but at the same time it seems as if the Japanese public is blowing things out of proportion to remove the base. I agree with Roosevelt’s “speak softly and carry a big stick” theory. We should keep the base there, but show remorse for the actions of our military member. We need to be relevant in world affairs, but respected at the same time

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/17/world/asia/2-us-navy-sailors-arrested-in-okinawa-rape.html

Blog 8: Human Rights in Greece

Human rights groups in Athens, Greece are accusing the government of subjecting people who are seeking asylums to an application process that is “degrading and illegal”. They are also claiming that the process is aiming to discourage them from formally requesting state protection. As many as fourteen groups in Athens claimed that refugees from various war zones that are unable to file for asylum because of Greek’s main processing center, (located in Athens). The center accepts as few as twenty applications each week. A fifty pare report criticizing the process is being sent to the European Union.

A coordinator of the study, Efthalia Pappa was quoted by saying, “The process is ridiculous, degrading, and illegal. It’s an insult to our humanity.” Examples of this system being degrading, as well as challenging human rights are later explained in the article. Instances of unaccompanied children and other asylum seekers having to wait in lines just to access the system have been reported. These persons have no access to food or even toilets at the asylum center. Evidence has also been found that criminal gangs were in charge of who made it to the front of the lines; at other time police had to use batons and pepper spray to “control the crowds”.  A lawyer who provide free advice to asylum seekers, Vassilis Kerasitotis, was quoted by saying, “The situation is a total jungle…We have no choice but to complain to the European Union.”

The situation here is the not only the injustice of the actions taking place by the government, but the question of human rights. Who is really in the wrong here? Is it wrong for illegal immigrants or refugees, as well are certain homeless groups, to want to seek shelter? Is the application process really as degrading and as hard to access as it is made out to be? This situation is basically presenting the question of, “Who rights, if anyone’s, are being taken away?”  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/greek-rights-groups-slam-asylum-process-call-treatment-of-refugees-degrading-and-illegal/2012/10/19/28e879b4-1a0e-11e2-ad4a-e5a958b60a1e_story.html