Japan Officials Amend American Troop Orientation After Marine Case
Japan and the United States will expand education and launch a new orientation program for U.S. troops in Okinawa after a Marine was indicted over the robbery and murder of a 39-year-old woman. Okinawa's governor wants a fundamental review of the Status of Forces Agreement.
Japan and the United States will expand community education and launch a new orientation program for U.S. military personnel on Okinawa, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at a press conference on Friday. Japan officials amend American troop briefings after a Marine was indicted over the suspected robbery and murder of a local woman.
The changes follow the early October killing and arrest, which heightened concerns over the large American troop presence on the island.
What Japan and the U.S. will change
Motegi said Japan will "expand and enrich" education for U.S. personnel stationed on Okinawa. Okinawa Governor Genta Koja had requested it.
The two countries will also update the Okinawa Orientation Overview, a mandatory briefing for new American personnel arriving on the island. The update will include input from the Okinawa Prefecture Government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' ambassador for Okinawa affairs and the prefectural police will provide briefings at an "early date." The aim is to help troops understand the Japanese legal system.
Next fiscal year, Japan and the U.S. will launch a program to help personnel understand how "Okinawa's cultural history ties with the local community to become good neighbors." Motegi also said joint police patrols will cover wider areas and run more often.
"I expressed that we are gravely receiving the burden felt by the Okinawa people regarding hosting military bases," Motegi said, referring to last week's Okinawa Policy Council meeting.
The case
Japanese authorities arrested Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard last month. He is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force, headquartered at Camp Courtney in Okinawa. He is suspected of robbing and killing Anna Yagi, a 39-year-old resident of Naha.
Prosecutors have since indicted Ballard. They allege he strangled Yagi with a phone cord at a hotel in the city and took her backpack, which held her wallet and other belongings. An examination found she died from suffocation.
Hotel security footage shows a person with hair and tattoos resembling Ballard's entering a room with a woman and leaving with items.
U.S. officials halted all military operations for two days for a Period of Training. A Period of Reflection followed and ended on Sunday. As it closed, new limits took effect: a longer curfew for junior enlisted personnel, and a ban on alcohol past a set time for all service members.
Governor seeks treaty review
Koja said at a Monday press conference that he would request a "fundamental review" of the Status of Forces Agreement, known as SOFA. The 1960 bilateral pact sets out the obligations of U.S. military personnel and their dependents in Japan. He called earlier actions insufficient.
"In the wake of every incident or accident involving U.S. military service members or civilian employees, Okinawa has repeatedly lodged strong protests with the U.S. military and with the government of both Japan and the United States," Koja said.
