By KUNA
Tokyo : The US military imposed a curfew Wednesday on its troops in Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa following a series of incidents involving US servicemen, including an alleged rape of a 14-year-old local girl on Febbruary 11 that sparked tension.
The curfew, which took effect at 7:30 a.m. (2230 GMT Tuesday) without specifying an end date, applies to all Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps personnel as well as their families and non-military staff, the US military said in a statement.
The restriction also covers those who are stationed at Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan.
Military personnel living on bases are basically banned from leaving their base except for worship, education, or medical treatment, or their official duties, as they enter a “period of reflection,” which will “allow commanders and all service members an opportunity to further review procedures and orders that govern the discipline and conduct of all US service members serving in Okinawa,” the statement said.
“The US military and its commanders take very seriously all incidents and allegations involving misconduct by service members,” it added.
In a separate announcement, the US military said it will hold a “Day of Reflection” on February 22 for all US military facilities in Japan over the recent incidents.
The Japanese government welcomed the restrictions. “I value the US military’s decision to impose the curfew and other measures,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told a news conference.
“But we need further bilateral discussions and consultations to work out specific steps to prevent similar incidents from happening,” the top government spokesman added.
Last week, a 38-year-old Marine staff sergeant was arrested on allegations that he raped a schoolgirl in his car. Over the weekend, two more US servicemen were also arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and trespassing, fuelling resentment among Okinawa residents against US troops.
The rape case rekindled tensions from a similar incident in 1995, when three US servicemen raped a 12-year-old Okinawan girl, followed by months of massive anti-American protests across the island. The protest moves eventually forced Japanese and the US governments to agree to relocate an airbase and vacate some other US facilities.
Japan hosts the largest concentration of US military in Asia, with more than 50,000 troops at bases throughout the country.
As part of the US-Japan security alliance, about 75 percent of all US military facilities in the nation are located in Okinawa, which had been under the control of the US Military until 1972.