Latest military arrest stokes Japan’s anger

Monday, November 19, 2012

— Japanese police arrested a U.S. Marine on Sunday on suspicion of trespassing on the southern island of Okinawa amid anger over military crimes and demands for stricter regulations for U.S. troops.

The incident, the second after the U.S. military had stepped up disciplinary measures last month, immediately triggered harsh reaction from the Okinawa government.

Police alleged 1st Lt. Tomas Chanquet of the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma sneaked into a room through an unlocked apartment door and slept until spotted by a resident, who called police.

Sunday’s arrest was especially inflammatory on Okinawa, where Emperor Akihito was attending a fisheries event.

“I’m too shocked to say anything. It’s utterly ridiculous and extremely regrettable,” Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima told reporters. “I must lodge a strong protest to both the Japanese and U.S. governments. They must do something more significant.”

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is expected to raise the issue during talks Tuesday with President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit of Southeast Asian countries in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Kyodo News agency reported.

A purported rape by two Navy sailors last month angered Okinawans and reignited deep-rooted anti-base sentiment on the island, home to more than half the 52,000 U.S. troops in Japan.

The case led to a curfew on all troops in Japan, but two weeks later, a U.S. airman purportedly assaulted a teenager. Sunday’s incident also raises questions over the effectiveness of the curfew and other disciplinary steps.

Japan has lodged a formal protest with the U.S. Embassy and U.S. military over the incident Sunday and demanded that they make sure the curfew is enforced.

Chanquet was apparently drunk when he entered the apartment, Okinawa police official Masahiko Gishi said. Police are investigating whether he broke the curfew and was drinking off-base prior to the purported trespassing.

On Friday, Okinawa’s prefectural assembly adopted a resolution protesting the two earlier cases, demanding tougher regulations and stepped-up efforts to reduce the number of troops and bases on the island. The resolution also called for a review of legal procedures for military suspects and efforts to streamline the U.S. troop presence.

Okinawans have staged protests against the deployment in October of Osprey military aircraft over safety concerns after two crashes elsewhere.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 11/19/2012