Tokyo expresses concern over alleged drunk driving by US serviceman amid heightened local tensions following the indictment of another Marine for murder.

By The South Asia Times

TOKYO  - Japan has urged the United States to strengthen discipline among its military personnel stationed in the country after a US Marine was arrested in Okinawa for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol during curfew hours introduced following a separate murder case involving another Marine.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Monday that Tokyo had asked Washington to take effective preventive measures after the “regrettable” incident on Saturday in Okinawa, a southwestern Japanese prefecture that hosts a large concentration of US military bases, according to Kyodo News.

“The latest incident causes significant concern among local residents and is unacceptable,” Kihara told a news conference, adding that Japan had conveyed its regret to the United States at a senior level.

According to local police, Marine Kalvin Montoya Cardona was arrested at around 12:25 a.m. Saturday in Okinawa City after allegedly driving with a blood-alcohol concentration twice the legal limit.

The arrest occurred during a midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew imposed on US military personnel for a 30-day “period of reflection” beginning Oct. 9.

The restrictions followed the Oct. 4 arrest of another Marine, Devin Ballard, who was subsequently indicted on charges of robbing and murdering a local woman in Naha, Okinawa’s capital.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Monday that Washington must take seriously the fact that the latest incident occurred despite the curfew.

Japan has requested that the US military ensure strict compliance with the restrictions and implement effective measures to prevent similar incidents, Koizumi said.

The issue is being discussed through high-level bilateral consultations, with Japanese officials seeking an early agreement on measures that can be announced and implemented.

“We want to reach conclusions as early as possible, announce the measures and put them into practice,” Koizumi said.

Okinawa has long been a focal point of public opposition to the US military presence in Japan, with residents raising concerns over crime, noise, accidents and the concentration of military facilities.

Kihara also announced that the Okinawa Policy Council, a joint body of the central and prefectural governments, will meet Friday to discuss basic policies concerning the prefecture. It will be the council’s first meeting since 2013.