An American soldier has been arrested for drink-driving, while another has been charged with robbery and murder.
Japan urges The United States to enforce discipline among its forces after another soldier was arrested on the island of Okinawa.
This is what the country’s defense minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, says, according to the AFP news agency.
– We have requested that the United States enforce discipline among its troops, implement measures to prevent similar episodes, and ensure compliance with the curfew, it reads.
– We want them to take it seriously.
The soldier in question was arrested for drink driving on Saturday.
The crime also happened while there is a night curfew for American soldiers on the island. This applies from midnight until 05:00.
The 30-day ban came into effect after another soldier was arrested for robbery and the killing of a woman in early October.
In the same connection, an alcohol ban was introduced. This lasted 48 hours.
The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun has previously written that the second soldier has been charged with the crimes.
This was confirmed to AFP by an unnamed spokesperson at a court in the city of Naha.
– Charges were brought on 25 October, it said.
The cases have renewed the debate about the massive presence of the US military on the Japanese island.
Crimes such as rape, assault, hit-and-run and drunk driving committed by US military personnel have long caused discontent on Okinawa.
For years, the island has called on other parts of Japan to share the burden of housing the American soldiers.
The United States has a total of about 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, with the majority located on Okinawa.
After World War II, Japan adopted a pacifist approach to the military. Japan and the United States subsequently entered into an agreement that the United States may have military bases in Japan.
RITZAU
