Japan urges US to enforce discipline after second marine arrest

Japan has urged the United States to ensure discipline among its military personnel following a second incident involving the arrest of a US Marine in the southwestern prefecture of Okinawa.

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi commented on the arrest of the American serviceman, Kyodo News reports.

Koizumi noted that the incident, in which the US Marine was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, occurred despite a curfew introduced following an earlier case on October 3, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

Emphasizing that the United States should take the matter seriously, Koizumi called on Washington to “ensure discipline through measures such as taking effective steps and ensuring strict compliance with the curfew.”

Following the October 3 arrest of 20-year-old US Marine Devin Ballard, who was accused of killing a woman and stealing her belongings, a one-month nighttime curfew was imposed on US military personnel stationed in Okinawa on October 9.

The incident sparked public outrage in Okinawa, which hosts most of the US military bases in Japan.

Later, on November 1, 21-year-old US Marine Corporal Kalvin Montoya Cardona, stationed at Camp Hansen military base, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

The presence of US military forces and alleged crimes involving American servicemen have long been sources of controversy in Okinawa.

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