World

Okinawa Marines Imposed Curfew and Alcohol Ban After Murder Allegations

By The Straits Times

US Marines stationed in Okinawa have been placed under a month‑long curfew and prohibited from drinking alcohol while they undergo discipline training. The measures were announced after Marine Lance Corporal Devin Ballard, 20, was accused of murdering and robbing local woman Anna Yagi, 39, in a hotel in Naha on Oct. 3. Ballard denies the allegations, police said. Yagi died of asphyxiation after Ballard allegedly pressed on her neck, according to police statements reported by the Stars and Stripes. Hotel staff found her unconscious in her room early on Oct. 3 after she failed to check out. Around 200 officers searched for a man earlier caught on CCTV entering the hotel with the victim, local media reported.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the killing as “extremely brutal and heinous” and said she had strongly protested to the United States, demanding measures to prevent such incidents in the future. In a meeting with Okinawa Governor Genta Koja in Tokyo, Takaichi said Japan and the US would continue to consult on effective measures to prevent such incidents.

Lieutenant‑General Benjamin Watson, in a statement on Oct. 6, said the curfew and alcohol ban were part of a 48‑hour pause in US military operations on Okinawa while troops undergo training on standards and discipline. He noted that every interaction with neighbours either builds or undermines the trust essential to the alliance and the security of the region.

The incident has sparked protests in Naha and Tokyo. Okinawa hosts the largest overseas contingent of US forces, with about 18,000 Marines stationed there. The presence of US troops has repeatedly stirred resentment among residents over issues such as noise, aircraft crashes and the conduct of personnel. The Oct. 3 killing could complicate efforts to relocate some Marines from the busy Futenma air base to a more remote facility in Henoko. Opponents want the troops moved out of the prefecture. Okinawa, which is 100 km from Taiwan at its closest point, is viewed by Tokyo and Washington as key in deterring potential military aggression from China.