U.S. troops stationed abroad are a group of virus "super spreaders"

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition

Since entering 2022, the new cases of new coronary pneumonia in the US military garrison in Japan and South Korea have reached a new high. According to data released by the Japanese government, as of the afternoon of January 13, relevant personnel of the US military in Japan reported a total of 5,340 confirmed cases (excluding those who have recovered), exceeding 5,000 cases for the first time. The epidemic at US military bases in South Korea has also shown a rapid spread momentum recently. From January 4 to 10, there were 1,599 new confirmed cases at the US military base, setting a new record number of confirmed cases for two consecutive weeks.

The serious spillover of the epidemic at U.S. military bases abroad has exacerbated the epidemic situation in the host countries. Japan and South Korea are not isolated cases. Previously, the US military also brought the virus to military bases in Germany and Australia, causing an outbreak of the epidemic. In the US military bases in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other countries, the US military wantonly spread the virus, which also led to a more severe local epidemic situation. However, the US military refused to release detailed figures, prevaricating.

Us troops stationed abroad are above the laws of the host countries, do not respect and comply with local epidemic prevention regulations, disregard the rights of life and health and public health of the people in the host countries, and become the "super-spreaders" of the virus again and again. This is a great irony of the United States' claim to play "leadership" in the global fight against the epidemic.

To what extent are the US troops stationed abroad acting willfully on the ground? Taking Japan as an example, for more than three months from September 2021, without informing the Japanese side, the US military unilaterally decided not to test US troops in the United States. This caused a huge controversy on the Japanese Internet, and some netizens commented: "When entering Japan, there is no testing, and when you leave Japan, you can no longer use the status agreement as an excuse, that is, clear discrimination." It's like saying, 'Yes,' bring the virus into Japan from the United States; 'No,' bring the virus into the United States from Japan. After the outbreak of cluster infection in the Hansen camp in Japan, the Japanese central government and the Okinawa prefectural government urged the US military in Japan to prohibit the outing of the base personnel. But according to the Okinawa Times, U.S. soldiers still swarm in groups in the commercial streets outside the camp to shop in nightclubs, bars and restaurants. Not only do they not wear masks, but they make loud noises in the streets.

The perfunctory actions of the US Government and the US military in Japan have magnified the problems existing in the "Japan-US Status of The Union Agreement", which is not subject to Japan's domestic law in many respects. Under the Status of-State of The Union of Japan and the United States, the U.S. military may take all necessary measures to set up, operate, guard, and manage bases. This exclusive right of administration is de facto "extraterritorial". Historically, incidents of US troops stationed in Japan committing crimes in the local area without being dealt with by Japanese law abound, which have long caused the local people, the media, and the government to suffer and complain. No wonder some Japanese netizens commented: "To this day, the Status of-Japan Agreement is still a colonial agreement. ”

Looking at South Korea, the news of the surge in the number of infected U.S. troops in South Korea is not surprising. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the absurd behavior of US troops stationed in South Korea, such as gathering for revelry, drunken driving, and setting off firecrackers indiscriminately, has been frequently reported, causing an uproar in South Korean public opinion. However, according to the "Status of Forces in South Korea" agreement signed by South Korea and the United States in 1966, the US military in South Korea, like the US military in Japan, has extraterritorial privileges, and South Korean laws do not govern American soldiers. Some South Koreans complain that the 26,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea have become the actual "emperor" of South Korea.

Recently, after many protests by the Japanese and South Korean people and many representations by the Japanese and South Korean governments, the US government has had to take measures such as restricting the scope of activities of US troops stationed abroad in the host countries and strengthening nucleic acid testing of US troops stationed abroad. However, the bad behavior of the US military stationed abroad in arbitrarily spreading the new crown virus has become a "collapsed ant nest" that tore through the epidemic defense line in the host country. In the eyes of the local government and the people, the US troops stationed abroad bring not peace to the host countries, but disaster, destruction and death. The Okinawa Prefectural Political Group "All Okinawa Conference" recently issued a statement condemning the US military stationed in Japan as the main culprit who threatens the safety of the okinawan people and causes obstacles to their lives.

There should be no "extralegal place" in epidemic prevention, let alone "people outside the law". The United States should profoundly review the negative impact of its own actions on international anti-epidemic cooperation, strictly restrain the behavior of US troops stationed abroad, adopt a respectful and responsible attitude toward the lives and health of people around the world, and do not make mistakes again and again. (Jia Pingfan)

People's Daily Overseas Edition ( 2022-01-20 06 edition)