Fallout from the killing of a Japanese national, allegedly by a U.S. service member stationed in Japan... “Alcohol ban and curfew for all troops in Okinawa”

[Financial News] The arrest of a U.S. Marine on suspicion of killing a local resident prompted the U.S. military commander in Okinawa Prefecture to impose an alcohol ban and nighttime curfew on all troops stationed there.
According to Japan’s NHK on the 6th, Lieutenant General Benjamin Watson, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Japan, ordered all U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa to suspend unit activities for two days starting on the 7th. During that period, troops will not be allowed to engage in recreational activities outside their facilities, and drinking will be completely prohibited. In addition, they will be barred from going out after midnight for 30 days starting on the 9th.
Earlier, on the 3rd, a 39-year-old woman was murdered at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, and her wallet and bag were stolen. Local police arrested Private First Class Devin Jacob Ballard, a U.S. Marine stationed at Futenma Air Base, on suspicion of robbery-murder. Ballard is reportedly denying the allegations.
In Okinawa, repeated serious crimes involving U.S. service members have fueled ongoing local opposition to U.S. military bases. For example, in 1995, a mass rally attended by about 85,000 residents was held after three U.S. service members kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old schoolgirl. Later, in 2016, a former U.S. Marine who had served at Kadena Air Base murdered a 20-year-old Okinawan woman.
According to local police, crimes involving the U.S. military in Okinawa rose from 40 in 2020 to 101 last year. Japan’s Defense Ministry says that, as of January this year, about 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan are concentrated in Okinawa. Given its proximity to the Taiwan Strait, Okinawa is considered a key hub for the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.
Amid this situation, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi issued a statement expressing regret to the United States on the 4th and called for measures to prevent a recurrence. The incident is expected to pose a major obstacle to the plan to relocate Futenma Air Base to Henoko, a project that Prime Minister Takaichi has been actively pursuing.
[email protected] Hong Chae-wan Reporter