Japan’s Okinawa calls for review of US forces pact after killing
Summary
Okinawa’s local government has asked Japan and the United States to review the agreement that governs American military forces based on the island. This request follows the accusation against a US Marine for killing a local woman, which has caused protests and concerns about US military behavior in Okinawa.Key Facts
- Okinawa’s assembly passed a resolution calling to review the agreement on US military presence called the Status of Forces Agreement.
- The resolution followed the accusation of US Marine Lance-Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard for killing a 39-year-old woman named Anna Yagi.
- Ballard denies the charges against him.
- The US military stopped operations for 48 hours and set a curfew of midnight to 5 am for 30 days in response.
- Okinawa hosts most of the 54,000 US troops in Japan and has a history of protests against crimes by US military personnel.
- The assembly criticized the US military for poor training and discipline and asked for full cooperation with investigators.
- Some assembly members wanted the US military chief in Okinawa to be removed but that was not included in the resolution.
- Japan’s Prime Minister and Tokyo officials have condemned the crime and formally protested to the US government.
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