United News of Bangladesh

Japanese police have arrested a US Marine on suspicion of robbing and killing a woman on Okinawa, a case that has renewed public anger over the presence of US military personnel on the southern Japanese island. The Okinawa prefectural police said Sunday that the 20-year-old Marine, stationed at Futenma Air Station, allegedly killed a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha, the prefectural capital, and took her wallet and backpack early Saturday. Kyodo News, citing police, reported that the woman was found dead in her hotel room and appeared to have been strangled. Security camera footage showed a man believed to be the suspect entering the hotel with the woman and later leaving alone, police said. He was arrested after an officer spotted him walking alone in an entertainment district in Okinawa City late Saturday, according to Kyodo. “The case deals a major shock and adds fear to the Okinawans who have already been forced to live next to US bases,” newly elected Okinawa Gov. Genta Koja told reporters. “It is absolutely unforgivable and we are outraged.” Koja also questioned whether measures taken by the US military to improve discipline and troop education following previous crimes were working. About 50,000 US troops are stationed in Japan under a bilateral security agreement, with roughly half based on Okinawa. The island has become increasingly important to the Japan-US military alliance as tensions with China grow. Okinawans have long raised concerns over noise, pollution and crime associated with US military bases. Such incidents have also strained relations between Japan’s central government and the Okinawa administration. The latest case comes as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government seeks to strengthen Japan’s military presence on Okinawa and expand cooperation with the US military. Takaichi called the killing “extremely regrettable” in a message on X. She said her government had strongly protested to the US and demanded full cooperation with Japanese authorities, stricter discipline for US service members and measures to prevent similar incidents. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also summoned US Ambassador to Japan George Glass and conveyed Japan’s “outrage,” the Foreign Ministry said. Glass expressed condolences to the victim’s family and said the US was cooperating with Japanese national and local authorities. The US Marine Corps said the suspect is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa and that it is fully cooperating with Japanese authorities. “The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior,” it said. Futenma Air Station, located in a densely populated part of central Okinawa, has been a longstanding source of concern. Many residents have demanded its relocation. The Japanese government approved a plan to move the base to Henoko on Okinawa’s eastern coast, but the project has faced major delays. Public opposition to the US military presence intensified after three US service members raped a 12-year-old girl in 1995, triggering massive protests. Okinawa prefectural police said arrests involving US service members and their families exceeded 100 last year. Repeated sexual crimes and delays in reporting some cases have also fueled anger among residents in recent years.