Okinawa residents call for handover of U.S. serviceman over hit-and-run+

NAHA, Japan, Dec. 13 Kyodo -
Over a thousand Okinawa residents and lawmakers gathered Sunday in Yomitan,
Okinawa Prefecture, urging the U.S. military to hand over the custody of a U.S.
serviceman who is suspected of involvement in a fatal hit-and-run accident in
the village last month but refuses questioning by the Japanese police.
The staff sergeant of the U.S. Army, who has allegedly admitted to his
involvement in the Nov. 7 accident that left a 66-year-old man dead, has been
detained by the U.S. military and will remain so until a possible indictment by
the Japanese authorities as stated under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces
Agreement.
But the gathering of some 1,500 people, including senior officials of the
village government and lawmakers of the ruling coalition, called for the
sergeant to be handed over even before indictment and adopted a resolution to
review the agreement that has ''allowed the suspect to run away into the (U.S.
military) base.''
Participants later marched to the Torii Communication Station in the village,
where the sergeant has been working, and handed a copy of the resolution to an
official at the military base.
The staff sergeant initially responded to voluntary questioning by Japanese
investigators but has refused to go to a Japanese police facility.
He has told his lawyer he believes he hit the man and wants to apologize to the
bereaved family, according to the lawyer.
==Kyodo