Japan’s Okinawa calls for review of US forces pact after killing

What the report says

Okinawa’s prefectural assembly in southern Japan has voted to seek a review of the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement after the arrest of a US Marine in connection with the killing of a local woman. Al Jazeera reported that the resolution was adopted on Friday and will be sent to the US embassy, with a separate statement also addressed to the Japanese government. The assembly said the agreement should be changed so the US military is pushed to prevent similar incidents.

The case involves Lance-Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is accused of killing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha on Saturday. According to the report, he has denied the allegation. The assembly’s special committee head, Ryotaro Odo, criticized the US military’s handling of discipline and training and urged cooperation with investigators.

The killing has triggered protests in Okinawa and Tokyo and renewed scrutiny of the large US military presence on the island. Okinawa hosts the majority of the roughly 54,000 US troops stationed in Japan and has long seen public concern over crimes by US personnel. Al Jazeera noted that the US military has since paused operations for 48 hours and imposed a temporary overnight curfew, while Japanese officials, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, have condemned the incident.