Okinawa Governor Calls for Review of US Forces Pact After Murder of Japanese Woman
Koja says the Status of Forces Agreement gives U.S. troops preferential treatment after an American Marine was indicted in the killing of a Japanese woman.
- On Monday, Okinawa Governor Genta Koja announced he will request a fundamental review of the 1960 Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement following the indictment of an American Marine for murder.
- Prosecutors indicted Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard last month for the murder of 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel in Naha, an alleged crime that reignited controversy over U.S. military presence on Okinawa.
- Because Okinawa hosts about 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan, critics argue the SOFA renders bases virtually extraterritorial and immune to domestic laws, often blocking indictments.
- Seeking the "swift return" of lands used by military bases in Okinawa's commercial center, Koja also demanded "prompt compliance with requests from the Japanese side to transfer suspects."
- Japan and the U.S. agreed on Friday to new community relations talks aimed at preventing future crimes, while U.S. officials extended a 30-day curfew for service members through Dec 7.
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12 Articles
Okinawa governor calls for review of U.S.-Japan troops pact in wake of woman's murder
Okinawa’s governor says he is going to request a review of a pact seen as giving the U.S. military preferential treatment in Japan, following a murder allegedly committed by an American Marine.
Okinawa governor calls for review of US forces pact after murder of Japanese woman
A US Marine was indicted on suspicion of murdering a 39-year-old Japanese woman at a hotel in Okinawa - in a case that triggered outrage and reignited controversy over the US military presence on the island.
The regional leader seeks to reform the agreement that grants privileges to foreign troops after a crime that unleashed tension on the Japanese island.The 1960 pact, which protects soldiers from local laws, faces renewed criticism after an accusation that shocked the community.
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Okinawa governor calls for review of US forces pact after murder
The governor of Okinawa said Monday he would request a review of a pact seen as giving the US military preferential treatment in Japan, following a murder alleg
The U.S.-Japanese Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in Japan may be subject to revision. The governor of Okinawa Prefecture is demanding changes to the law.
TOKYO - The governor of Japan's Okinawa prefecture, Genta Koja, said Monday he would seek a major overhaul of an agreement that critics say unfairly favors US military personnel in Japan, in response to the murder of a suspected US Marine, AFP reports.
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