Okinawa governor seeks review of US forces pact after alleged murder by Marine
Genta Koja wants a fundamental review of the 1960 Status of Forces Agreement after a Japanese woman was allegedly killed by a US Marine.
Okinawa's governor, Genta Koja, said on Monday (Nov 9) he would seek a fundamental review of the agreement governing US forces in Japan, after a US Marine was indicted over the alleged murder of a Japanese woman, CNA and The Straits Times reported.
Prosecutors indicted the Marine in October on suspicion of murdering the 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Okinawa. The case triggered outrage and revived controversy over the US military presence on the southern island, the outlets said.
"I'll call for a fundamental review of the SOFA," Koja told a news conference in Tokyo, referring to the 1960 Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement. Critics say the pact has made US bases virtually extraterritorial and immune to Japanese domestic law.
Under the accord, US military authorities have the primary right to investigate and punish service members who are on official duty in Japan. Critics say this has sometimes blocked indictments by Japanese investigators, and that the bases' extraterritorial status has deterred Japanese authorities from investigating suspected soil pollution around them.
Koja called the alleged killing "an extremely heinous crime that has caused great anxiety" among Okinawa residents. He said the review should include "prompt compliance with requests from the Japanese side to transfer suspects in detention prior to indictment", and the application of Japanese laws such as the aviation act to the US military.
The United States has about 54,000 military personnel in Japan, most of them on Okinawa, and crimes by those personnel have been a thorn in relations between the two security allies. Okinawa lawmakers adopted a resolution in October calling for the pact to be revised. It is due to be submitted to the US embassy soon.
Koja was elected in September and is the first Okinawa governor in 12 years to have approved a contentious US base relocation plan. Under the central government's plan, the Marine Corps' Futenma air base stays on Okinawa's main island but moves to a less populated location. Koja said he would also seek the "swift return" of land used by the US military in Okinawa's commercial centre under a 2013 agreement, which he said would help the local economy.
On Friday (Nov 6), Japan and the US agreed on measures aimed at preventing crimes by US service members on Okinawa, including talks on community relations and Japan's legal system. US officials also said a 30-day curfew imposed after the woman's death would be extended for some service members until Dec 7.
Sources: CNA, Okinawa governor calls for review of US forces pact after murder of Japanese woman; The Straits Times, Okinawa governor calls for review of US forces pact after murder.
