Okinawa Assembly Demands US Forces Pact Overhaul Following Tragic Killing by Marine

The prefectural assembly of Okinawa has officially called for a comprehensive review of the agreement overseeing the stationing of United States military forces on the Japanese island. This resolution was adopted on Friday in the wake of the arrest of a US Marine accused of robbing and killing a local woman.

The assembly's demand to adapt the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement, aimed at urging the US military to prevent such incidents, will be formally sent to the US embassy. Additionally, a parallel statement addressing the same concerns has been passed and directed to the Japanese government.

Ryotaro Odo, head of the assembly’s special committee on US military bases, sharply criticized the US military, stating it was “not functioning as an organisation” while pointing to clear failures in both training and discipline. Describing the killing as “extremely heinous and despicable,” he urged the military to fully cooperate with investigators and hold those responsible accountable.

According to Japan’s Kyodo News agency, some assembly members opposed the resolution because it fell short of demanding the dismissal of the US military chief in Okinawa.

Lance-Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, faces allegations of killing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha on Saturday. He has denied all allegations against him.

This tragic case has ignited a wave of demonstrations across Tokyo and Okinawa. The island currently hosts the majority of the 54,000 US soldiers stationed in Japan, and longstanding local grievances regarding crimes such as rapes, assaults, hit-and-runs, and drink-driving incidents by US personnel have repeatedly sparked widespread protests.

In response to the outrage, the US military enforced a 48-hour operational pause starting Wednesday, followed by a 30-day curfew effective from midnight to 5 am beginning Friday.

Tokyo has summoned both the US ambassador and the US forces commander in Okinawa to lodge formal protests. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has strongly condemned the “heinous” crime.

Okinawa, which remained under US control from 1945 to 1972, continues to host numerous facilities used exclusively by US forces. Highlighting ongoing local tensions, the island’s assembly previously passed a similar resolution in 2024 following a series of sexual assaults by US servicemen, which also prompted municipal assemblies in Naha, Ginowan, Miyakojima, and Motobu to file formal protests.