Okinawa assembly resolution seeks US forces' action after murder case
NAHA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The Okinawa prefectural assembly adopted a resolution calling on the U.S. military to take action to prevent a recurrence after
NAHA, Japan - The Okinawa prefectural assembly has passed a resolution urging the U.S. military to take action to prevent another murder after a local woman, Anna Yagi, was allegedly killed by a U.S. Marine, Devin Ballard, in the southern island prefecture. The resolution, along with a statement to the Japanese government, also calls for a thorough review of the Japan-U.S.
Status of Forces Agreement. Ballard, stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, was arrested on suspicion of robbing and murdering Yagi at a hotel in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, the day before the incident. He has refuted the allegations. In response to Ballard's arrest, the U.S. military in Okinawa halted operations for 48 hours starting from Wednesday noon and imposed a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. for 30 days beginning Friday.
Similar resolutions were adopted in 2024 following a series of sexual assaults involving U.S. servicemen in Okinawa, which sparked outrage among local residents. The prefecture, under U.S. control from 1945 to 1972 following Japan's defeat in World War II, continues to host a significant portion of the facilities exclusively used by U.S. Forces Japan.
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- Dozens protest in Tokyo after U.S. Marine accused of murder in Okinawa japantimes.co.jp
- Dozens protest in Tokyo over crimes by U.S. service members japantoday.com
