US Military Personnel Arrested in Okinawa—Again

On May 19, a former U.S. Marine who works as a civilian employee at a U.S. base in Okinawa was arrested by Okinawa Prefectural Police. He was charged with the murder and desertion of the remains of Rina Shimabukuro, a 20-year old woman in Okinawa.

Following the incident, a predictable sequence of the events unfolded. The commanding general of U.S. Forces in Okinawa and the U.S. consul general apologized to Okinawan Governor Takeshi Onaga. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani summoned U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and officially protested the crime that was committed.  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke of the intention of his government to strongly request the U.S. government to take appropriate measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Understandably, there has been a surge in protests in Okinawa, demanding all U.S. bases be closed.

This is an excerpt from an article published in The Diplomat, on May 23, 2016.