Japan's defence minister protests to top US commander Paparo over Okinawa Marine murder case

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi lodged a strong protest with Adm. Samuel Paparo, the top US military commander in the Indo-Pacific, on 9 October over the arrest of a US Marine on suspicion of robbing and killing a woman on Okinawa, Japan's Ministry of Defense said. The two met at the ministry in Tokyo during Paparo's visit to Japan.

Koizumi demanded full US cooperation with the police investigation, stricter discipline among US military personnel and thorough measures to prevent further incidents and accidents, according to the ministry's account as reported by Kyodo News. He also asked the US side to respond appropriately to the victim's family.

The two men also exchanged views on Japan-US security cooperation and confirmed that they would work closely together to further strengthen the alliance and secure peace and stability in the region, the ministry said. No statement from Paparo about the case was released, Defence Blog reported.

Koizumi last met Paparo in January, when he visited the command's headquarters in Hawaii and the two agreed to keep working closely to strengthen the alliance's deterrence and response capabilities, according to the ministry.

The case

Okinawa prefectural police arrested Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, early on 4 October on suspicion of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel in Naha, the prefectural capital, the previous morning and taking her wallet and backpack, Defence Blog reported. Police said security camera footage showed a man entering the hotel with Yagi and leaving alone with her belongings.

Police said Yagi died of asphyxiation and that Ballard, a combat engineer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, has denied the allegations. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has described the killing as extremely brutal and heinous, and the Japanese government lodged a protest with Washington shortly after the arrest.

Restrictions on US personnel

The US military on Okinawa ordered a 48-hour operational pause from 7 October, with no off-base liberty and a complete ban on alcohol on and off base while commanders held training on standards and discipline. Since 9 October, all US personnel on the island have been under a 30-day curfew from midnight to 5 a.m., and US Forces Japan is reviewing its liberty policies and will make recommendations to a joint coordinating committee.

The case has prompted protests on Okinawa and outside the US Embassy in Tokyo. Okinawa hosts most of the US troops stationed in Japan, and crimes involving American personnel have long strained relations between residents, the prefectural government and Tokyo. Prefectural police said arrests involving US service members and their families exceeded 100 last year, according to Defence Blog.