An American sailor was arrested Sunday on suspicion of drunken driving causing an accident on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, where public anger has run high over crimes by US military personnel.
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The incident increased longstanding protests over the USA military’s presence in Okinawa, where about half of all servicemembers in Japan are based.
U.S. Navy members serving in Japan have been banned Monday from drinking alcohol after a sailor with six times the legal limit of alcohol in her blood crashed into two people on the island of Okinawa, causing national outrage.
“These measures are not taken lightly”, Carter said in a statement.
Such high-profile crimes have strained U.S. -Japan relations and jeopardize plans to relocate a key U.S. airbase in Okinawa. “It is imperative that each sailor understands how our actions affect that relationship, and the U.S. -Japan alliance as a whole”. She hit two cars and injured two people.
The officer, Aimee Mejia, who was assigned to Kadena Air base, is now being held by Japanese police.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, who is now visiting Singapore, told reporters that the latest incident, coming despite the measures to tighten discipline among US military personnel in Okinawa, is “extremely regrettable”.
The incident prompted Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida to lodge a protest with U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy.
Owing to the opposition of the local residents on Okinawa, an agreement reached between the United States and Japan to relocate the U.S. Navy’s Futenma air base to a less populous part of Okinawa has always been shelved.
The order covers all ranks and bans both on- and off-base alcohol consumption, according to a joint announcement from 7th Fleet and Commander Naval Forces Japan.
Sunday’s vote on the island, host to the bulk of USA forces in Japan, came after a series of crimes and other incidents involving US soldiers and base workers reignited resentment against the USA presence. The U.S. military had declared a period of unity and mourning following the discovery of the body of Rina Shimabukuro, a local 20-year-old Japanese woman, on May 19.
The restrictions on off-base liberty will remain in effect until face-to-face training is completed with all personnel, Stars and Stripes reported.
In March, a sailor was arrested on charges of raping a Japanese woman.
Another east Asian country – the Philippines – actually ordered the USA military to leave in the early 1990s but invited American military forces back because of increased tensions with China.
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Nevertheless, incidents that tarnish the reputation of the United States military in Okinawa continue to come to light. The case was so shattering that Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raised it during President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Japan. The U.S. Embassy told USA TODAY on Monday that it would have no comment.
