U.S. Military Police Detain Civilian in Okinawa by Mistake

Tokyo, Dec. 26 (Jiji Press)–U.S. military police in Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, temporarily detained a civilian by mistake in the city of Okinawa on Nov. 22, a panel between the Japanese and U.S. governments said Friday. The Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement does not allow U.S. military police to detain civilians outside U.S. bases. A statement issued by the Japan-U.S. Joint Committee emphasized the need to “prevent the recurrence of such incidents by taking all necessary measures.” According to the statement, the military police detained a U.S. citizen during a solo patrol. Such patrols began in September following a series of sexual abuse incidents involving U.S. military personnel in the prefecture. While some in the prefecture criticize these U.S. patrols as a violation of Japanese sovereignty, the U.S. military plans to resume the patrolling initiative by the end of the year or later after training military police members. The Japanese government believes that the U.S. initiative is helpful for maintaining order and discipline within U.S. forces in Japan. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]