TOKYO, Nov. 6 — The U.S. military in Okinawa, Japan, has decided to extend a nighttime curfew by one month until Dec. 7, covering its personnel under the rank of sergeant, Kyodo News reported on Friday.
The U.S. military said sergeants and those ranked above will not be subject to the extended curfew. The current 30-day curfew on all U.S. military personnel in Okinawa was imposed on Oct. 9 following the arrest of U.S. serviceman Devin Ballard, who was indicted on charges of robbing and murdering a local woman in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, in early October.
Under the curfew rules, U.S. military personnel stationed in Okinawa are prohibited from going out between midnight and 5 a.m. However, on Oct. 31, during the curfew period, a U.S. Marine was arrested in Okinawa City on suspicion of drunk driving.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Monday that he had urged the U.S. side to strictly enforce military discipline, take effective measures to prevent similar incidents and ensure that the curfew was strictly observed.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday that the Japanese and U.S. governments had agreed to strengthen education and training for U.S. service members to prevent similar incidents from recurring. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
