General Benjamin Watson, commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force and US military coordinator for the Okinawa area, today announced a "complete ban on alcohol consumption, both on and off base", for 48 hours.
During this period, commanders will conduct training for all service members on "standards, discipline, and responsibility as members of the Okinawa community". All operational activities will be suspended, and service members are prohibited from leaving their bases.
 |
US Marines during a training exercise at Schwab base in Okinawa prefecture on 20/5. Photo: AFP |
US Marines during a training exercise at Schwab base in Okinawa prefecture on 20/5. Photo: AFP
General Watson also initiated a 30-day "self-reflection period", starting on 9/10. "We will enforce a curfew; permission to leave the base will end at midnight. All service members must be on base or at their off-base residences from midnight to 5 AM daily", he stated.
The move follows the arrest of a US Marine stationed in Okinawa, accused of murdering a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha city and stealing the victim's wallet. The US service member has denied the allegations.
The incident sparked outrage in Japan, where crimes involving stationed US forces often draw criticism regarding the presence of foreign troops. Okinawa Governor Genta Koja is expected to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi today to express concerns.
Prime Minister Takaichi had previously expressed outrage, calling the incident "extremely brutal and cruel", and urged stricter discipline for US service members and comprehensive measures to prevent similar occurrences.
 |
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (right) meets Okinawa Governor in Tokyo on 7/10. Photo: AFP |
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (right) meets Okinawa Governor in Tokyo on 7/10. Photo: AFP
"Each time an incident occurs, the provincial government repeatedly asks the US military to implement preventative measures, but the latest case forces us to conclude that discipline within US forces and their human rights education efforts are completely ineffective", Governor Koja stated during a meeting with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Tokyo on 7/10.
The US currently has about 54,000 troops stationed in Japan, primarily in Okinawa. Unlawful acts by US service members, including rape, assault, hit-and-run incidents, and drunk driving accidents, have long sparked protests in Okinawa.
This issue frequently causes tension in relations between the US and Japan, two close allies.
Last year, a Japanese court sentenced a US Marine to 7 years in prison for allegedly strangling and attempting to rape a woman in her twenties.
In 2017, a US Marine who had worked at a base in Okinawa also received a life sentence for raping and murdering a local woman. That same year, US forces in Japan also imposed an alcohol ban on service members after a drunk Marine caused a fatal accident, killing a 61-year-old man.
By Huyen Le (AFP)
