US forces questioned on Japan rape

Okinawans resent the US presence

Police on the Japanese island of Okinawa have been questioning United States servicemen in connection with the gang rape of a local woman.

The woman was raped in the early hours of Friday morning in a car park in an area frequented by US servicemen from nearby bases.

A witness said the assailants appeared to be American and that they had fled in a car with special number plates used by US Forces personnel, according to a police spokesman.

Japan's prime minister has voiced concern over how the incident might affect relations between the US military and local residents, who want a reduction in troop numbers on the island.

Okinawa is home to 25,000 US troops and their presence has become increasingly controversial, with a series of highly publicised crimes in recent years.

In this case, the police received an emergency call just before dawn saying a woman was being gang raped by a group of foreign men in the central Okinawan town of Chatan.

No arrests

The police have been interviewing the woman, a local resident in her 20s.

They have also questioned a number of US servicemen, but no arrests have been made.

At present the police are refusing to confirm whether the suspects are US servicemen, saying only that the men appeared to be "foreign".

The US military says it is co-operating with the inquiry.

Anti-US rallies

In the past the people of Okinawa have reacted with fury to crimes committed by US forces, whose presence dominates the island.

Big anti-American rallies took place in 1995 after three marines raped a 12- year-old girl.

Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, about to depart for a weekend summit with US President George W Bush, has voiced concern over the incident saying it could harm relations between locals and the thousands of US troops stationed there.

"We must first confirm the report. If it is true, such a crime would hurt residents' feelings" in Okinawa, Mr Koizumi said.

Pressure

Mr Koizumi favours close US military ties

The Japanese leader is in favour of close military ties with the United States, but he is under pressure to push for a reduction in the American military presence in Okinawa.

His foreign minister recently called for an end to exercises by US marines on the island.

The United States says the Okinawa bases are essential for its security posture in Asia and the Pacific.