US forces in Okinawa suspend operations after arrest of Marine

(Bloomberg) — U.S. forces in Japan will suspend operations for 48 hours starting at noon Wednesday and impose a month-long curfew on military personnel following the arrest of a U.S. Marine on suspicion of murdering a Japanese woman.

US military personnel on Japan’s southernmost island of Okinawa will halt operations for training on standards and discipline and will be prohibited from leaving their bases to socialize or consume alcohol, according to a statement issued by the Okinawa regional coordinator.

“Serving in Okinawa comes with responsibility,” the statement said. “Every interaction with our neighbors builds or undermines the trust that is essential to our team. When that trust is broken, it affects the strength of our alliance and the security of this region.”

Following the operational pause, military personnel will be subject to a midnight curfew for 30 days, the statement added.

Local police arrested a 20-year-old US soldier on suspicion of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi early Saturday morning at a hotel in the city of Naha. National broadcaster NHK said the soldier denied the charges, citing police investigators.

The incident threatens to reignite local opposition to the US military presence in Okinawa, home to around 30,000 US personnel.

The 1995 rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by three U.S. soldiers sparked major protests, and serious crimes involving U.S. military personnel have since periodically fueled opposition to the U.S. military presence on the island.

“The occurrence of such a heinous incident is extremely regrettable. The Japanese government has lodged a strong protest with the US side,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in remarks before the opening session of parliament on Monday.

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