Naha, Okinawa Pref., Oct. 7 (Jiji Press)–The U.S. military in Okinawa Prefecture has said that all U.S. troops stationed in the southernmost Japan prefecture will observe a 48-hour operational pause from noon Wednesday, following the alleged murder of a local woman by a Marine, who was arrested Sunday. The personnel are prohibited from leaving their bases in the prefecture and consuming alcohol both on and off base, the military said in a statement released Tuesday night. A curfew will be in place for the subsequent 30 days, from midnight to 5 a.m. Surveillance will be strengthened at all base gates within the prefecture during this period. “Serving on Okinawa comes with responsibility,” Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, head of U.S. forces in Okinawa, said in the statement. “Every interaction with our neighbors either builds or undermines the trust that is essential to our team,” the statement said. “When that trust is damaged, it affects the strength of our alliance and the security of this region.” He called on U.S. military personnel to discuss alcohol awareness, Okinawa culture and alliance responsibilities, during the 48-hour period through noon Friday. Okinawa prefectural police arrested the Marine, who belongs to the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air base in Ginowan, on suspicion of robbery and the murder of a woman in Naha, the prefectural capital. Summoning Watson to the prefectural government office Monday to lodge a protest, Okinawa Governor Genta Koja described discipline enforcement within the U.S. military as completely ineffective and called for effective measures to be implemented. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
