Japan is ready to freeze all forms of official development assistance to Myanmar, even for projects already underway, if the political crisis triggered by the military coup in that country does not move towards a solution. This was stated by the foreign minister of Japan, Toshimitsu Motegi. “We would absolutely not want to resort to this measure, but it is necessary to firmly affirm that it will be difficult to continue (to support Myanmar) in the current circumstances”, said the minister during an interview with “Nikkei”. “As supporters of the democratization process and as friends of Myanmar, it is our obligation to speak out for the international community and to convey this message firmly”, added the minister. Japan provided Myanmar 189.3 billion yen ($ 1.74 billion at the current exchange rate) in the form of development aid in 2019, more than any other country except China, which did not disclose any data. precise. Tokyo has already frozen negotiations with Myanmamr for the identification of new projects benefiting from development aid in response to the military coup of last February 1st; Tokyo began providing development assistance to Myanmar in 1954, and has never stopped such aid since.
The junta of Myanmar dismissed two officials at the country’s embassy in Tokyo, Japan, who had joined a boycott in protest against the military coup last February 1 and the violent repression of civil demonstrations. This was reported by the Japanese news agency “Kyodo”, according to which the junta’s foreign ministry revoked the diplomatic status of the two officials in Tokyo and their passport, and denied them entry to the embassy building, where they lived until the beginning of March. Last February the Burmese junta sacked the country’s ambassador to the United Nations, and expelled its envoy to London from the embassy in the British capital.
The victims of the repression in Myanmar by the military junta that took power last February 1st, deposing the leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Mynt, have exceeded 800. This is indicated by the data collected by the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners, according to which at least 802 people were killed during the clashes in the last hundred days. However, the activists themselves warn, the real number of victims could be much higher.
The count includes six people killed yesterday in the state of Chin, in the north-west of the country, and in the two main Burmese cities, Yangon and Mandalay. To the victims must be added 4,120 people who were arrested after the coup, 20 of whom have already been sentenced to death
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