Every US Marine stationed on Okinawa has been ordered to stop drinking alcohol and to stay on base at night, Japanese media reported on Wednesday. The crackdown follows the detention of a 20-year-old American serviceman suspected of murdering a 39-year-old Japanese woman, a case that has sparked outrage across the country.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that a 48-hour „operational pause” for all US forces on the island started at noon local time on Wednesday. Troops are barred from drinking alcohol, cannot leave their bases and are being put through discipline training during that period.
From Friday, a night-time curfew will take effect and remain in force for 30 days. Military personnel will not be allowed outside their bases between midnight and 5 am.
A suspect from the Futenma base
The restrictions are tied to the detention on 4 October of Devin Jacob Ballard, a 20-year-old serviceman from the Futenma base. He is suspected of strangling and robbing 39-year-old Anna Yagi a day earlier in a hotel in Naha. The man denies the charges.
General Benjamin Watson, commander of US forces on Okinawa, signed an order published on Tuesday explaining the reasoning behind the new rules.
– Every interaction with our neighbours builds or destroys trust. When it is damaged, it affects the strength of the alliance and the security of the region – said General Benjamin Watson.
The killing has pushed crowds onto the streets in both Naha and Tokyo, turning a criminal investigation into a test of the long-standing security arrangement between Washington and Tokyo.
Political reaction and a troubled presence
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the murder as extremely brutal and monstrous.
– The murder was extremely brutal and monstrous – said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Okinawa Governor Genta Koja voiced deep outrage over the crime and demanded decisive preventive steps. Government spokesman Minoru Kihara said the United States and Japan are holding consultations on new security procedures.
Japan hosts the largest overseas contingent of US troops, with most of the 18,000 Marines stationed on Okinawa. The American presence has drawn opposition over crimes committed by personnel, among them the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
