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Okinawa governor demands measures from defense minister over Marine arrest
En breve
Okinawa Governor Genta Kojya met Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Oct. 7 and handed him a written request for effective, fundamental measures to prevent a repeat of incidents involving U.S. military personnel, after a Marine was arrested on suspicion of robbery-murder. Kojya said the case was “extremely malicious” and that U.S. military discipline and human rights education “is completely not functioning”, while Koizumi said Japan and the U.S. would hold consultations. Kojya also met Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Mogi and was due to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister’s office later in the day.
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Okinawa Governor Genta Kojya met Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Oct. 7 over the arrest of a U.S. Marine on suspicion of robbery-murder, and handed him a written request, according to Tokyo Shimbun, Nippon TV, Sankei Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, NHK and Asahi Shimbun. Sankei and Yomiuri reported the meeting was held in the morning. [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 16 ]
Kojya said the case was “extremely malicious” and gave residents great anxiety, and that it was “absolutely unforgivable”, according to Sankei, Yomiuri and Asahi. He added that “the U.S. military’s discipline and human rights education is completely not functioning”, Nippon TV and Asahi reported, and asked for effective, fundamental measures so that “a tragic incident never happens again”, according to Nippon TV and Yomiuri. [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 16 ]
Koizumi said he felt strong anger and that “we want to advance consultations between Japan and the U.S. on what effective measures to take”, Yomiuri and Nippon TV reported. Sankei reported that he explained the government has asked the U.S. side for full cooperation with the investigation, and that when Kojya sought an early meeting of the Okinawa Policy Council, Koizumi answered only that he would firmly take in Okinawa’s views and respond. Asahi reported Koizumi said Japan had strongly protested to the U.S. and pressed for discipline, thorough prevention and appropriate treatment of the victim’s bereaved family. [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 16 ]
Kojya also met Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Mogi, who indicated close communication with the U.S. side on prevention, Yomiuri and Sankei reported. Yomiuri, Sankei and Asahi said he was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister’s office in the afternoon; Asahi said he also planned to meet Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara. [ 10 , 13 , 16 ]
The meetings followed Koizumi’s Oct. 6 press conference, at which he announced he would see the governor on Oct. 7, discuss prevention measures and make requests to the U.S. side, Jiji Press and Mainichi reported. Koizumi said then that incidents and accidents involving U.S. military personnel “cause great anxiety to local people and must not happen”, according to Jiji, Mainichi and Nikkei. Mainichi reported that, according to government officials, Kojya was also arranging meetings with the prime minister and foreign minister, and the government later announced the prime minister’s meeting, Jiji reported. Nikkei reported that calls are growing within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for a stronger U.S. response. [ 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 ]
Asahi Shimbun reported the details: the incident occurred at dawn on Oct. 3, Kojya’s fourth day in office, when a woman’s body was found at a hotel in Naha. Okinawa prefectural police arrested Marine Private First Class Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, on Oct. 4 on suspicion of robbery-murder for killing the woman and taking her wallet, Asahi said, adding that he denies the charge and said “I don’t know”. [ 16 ]
Por qué importa
The meetings put the Okinawa prefectural and Japanese national governments in the same room over a case that local coverage ties to the U.S. military presence, an issue that is politically sensitive in Okinawa. What the government says it will ask of the U.S. side, and how the governor responds, shapes how the case is handled from here.
Datos clave
- Okinawa Governor Genta Kojya met Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Defense Ministry on Oct. 7 and handed him a written request over the arrest of a U.S. Marine on suspicion of robbery-murder. [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 16 ]
- Kojya said the case was “extremely malicious” and gave residents great anxiety, and that the U.S. military’s discipline and human rights education “is completely not functioning”. [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 16 ]
- Kojya asked for effective, fundamental measures to prevent recurrence; Koizumi said he wanted to advance Japan-U.S. consultations on effective measures. [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 16 ]
- Kojya also met Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Mogi and was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister’s office in the afternoon of Oct. 7. [ 10 , 13 , 16 ]
- Asahi Shimbun reported the arrested Marine is Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, a private first class, arrested on Oct. 4 on suspicion of killing a woman and taking her wallet at a hotel in Naha; he denies the charge, saying “I don’t know”. [ 16 ]
- Kojya asked for an early meeting of the Okinawa Policy Council; Sankei Shimbun reported Koizumi answered only that he would firmly take in Okinawa’s views and respond. [ 10 ]
- Nikkei reported that calls are growing within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for a stronger U.S. response. [ 7 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Okinawa Governor Genta Kojya met on Oct. 7, with the governor handing over a written request over the U.S. Marine’s arrest. [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 16 ]
- Kojya said the case was extremely malicious and unforgivable, and that U.S. military discipline and human rights education is not functioning. [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 16 ]
- Kojya asked for effective and fundamental measures to prevent recurrence. [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 16 ]
- Koizumi said Japan and the U.S. would hold consultations on what effective measures to take. [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 16 ]
- Kojya also met Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Mogi, who indicated close communication with the U.S. side. [ 10 , 13 , 16 ]
- Kojya was due to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister’s office on the afternoon of Oct. 7. [ 3 , 6 , 7 , 10 , 13 , 16 ]
- The detained Marine belongs to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa. [ 2 , 3 , 13 , 16 ]
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Oct. 7 meeting with the Okinawa governor was announced by the government. [ 6 , 7 ]
- Koizumi announced at an Oct. 6 press conference that he would meet the Okinawa governor on Oct. 7 over the case. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- What was said or agreed at Governor Kojya’s meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The documents, published during the morning and early afternoon of Oct. 7, say the meeting was scheduled for that afternoon; no document reports its outcome. Asahi Shimbun also said Kojya planned to meet Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, which no other document mentions.
- A reported order by the top U.S. military commander in Okinawa for a 48-hour suspension of activities and a nighttime curfew. This appears only as a related item listed on NHK’s article page, without detail or confirmation from any other document.
- The exact circumstances of the alleged crime and how the case will proceed. Only Asahi Shimbun gives details of the timing, the suspect and his denial; the other documents refer to the arrest on suspicion of robbery-murder without further specifics.
- A reported protest by the Okinawa governor to the top U.S. military commander in Okinawa and a demand to revise the Status of Forces Agreement. This appears only as a related headline inside Jiji Press’s article, without detail or confirmation from any other document.
- Whether Koizumi made any specific commitment on the Okinawa Policy Council or on measures to be requested from the U.S. side. Sankei Shimbun says he only answered that he would take Okinawa’s voice seriously, while other outlets quote general remarks about Japan-U.S. consultations.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- Asahi Shimbun reports the incident occurred at dawn on Oct. 3, the governor’s fourth day in office, when a woman’s body was found at a hotel in Naha; Okinawa prefectural police arrested a Marine on Oct. 4 on suspicion of robbery-murder. [ 16 ]
- On Oct. 5, Livedoor News reports that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will meet the Okinawa governor on Oct. 7 to discuss the response to the case. [ 1 ]
- On Oct. 6, Jiji Press reports Koizumi’s press conference announcing the Oct. 7 meeting and the plan to coordinate with the U.S. side. [ 2 ]
- On Oct. 6, Mainichi Shimbun reports the announcement and adds that Kojya is also arranging meetings with the prime minister and foreign minister. [ 3 ]
- On Oct. 6, TBS NEWS DIG and Livedoor News report the planned Oct. 7 meeting between the defense minister and the governor. [ 4 , 5 ]
- On Oct. 6, Jiji Press reports that the government announced the prime minister will meet the Okinawa governor on Oct. 7. [ 6 ]
- On Oct. 6, Nikkei reports that the prime minister will meet the Okinawa governor at the prime minister’s office on Oct. 7 and that concern is growing within the ruling party. [ 7 ]
- On Oct. 7, Nishi-Nippon Shimbun reports that the defense minister met the Okinawa governor to discuss the U.S. Marine’s arrest. [ 8 ]
- Tokyo Shimbun reports that Governor Kojya handed a written request to Defense Minister Koizumi at the Defense Ministry on the morning of Oct. 7. [ 9 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports the meeting at the Defense Ministry, Kojya’s protest and his request for fundamental measures, and Koizumi’s reply that Japan and the U.S. will hold talks. [ 10 ]
- Nippon TV reports Kojya handed over a written request; Mainichi Shimbun reports the two discussed base-hosting burden reduction and other issues. [ 11 , 12 ]
- Yomiuri Shimbun and NHK report the meeting, including Kojya’s criticism and Koizumi’s response, and Kojya’s separate talks with Foreign Minister Mogi. [ 13 , 14 ]
- Nikkei reports that the Okinawa governor asked the defense minister for effective measures. [ 15 ]
- Asahi Shimbun reports Kojya met Koizumi and Mogi, gives details of the case and the suspect, and says Kojya was to meet the prime minister and the chief cabinet secretary that afternoon. [ 16 ]