USDA Secretary to visit Japan

by Nem Davies
Wednesday, 19 August 2009 19:38

New Delhi (Mizzima) - A Burmese delegation led by the Secretary of the pro-junta civil organisation – the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) – will leave for Japan on a good will mission on Wednesday evening.

The delegation’s week-long tour follows an invitation by the Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone. The delegation will be led by USDA Secretary U Htay Oo, who is also the Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation. He will be accompanied by Tin Htut Oo, Director General of the Agricultural Department and other officials including those of the Military Affairs Security (MAS).

The delegation will leave on Wednesday evening for Bangkok on a TG flight and will arrive in Tokyo on Thursday morning on a Nippon Airlines flight.

In Japan, the delegation will put up at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo. On Thursday it will visit the Buddha statue located in a popular tourist attraction centre - Kamakura, north of Tokyo.

On August 23 and 24, the delegation is scheduled to meet Japanese opposition Members of Parliament. On August 25 it will meet the Japanese Foreign Minister. The same evening it will meet the Deputy Agriculture Minister.

While the trip is being termed as a friendly visit, it is also expected to be part of the Burmese junta’s lobbying of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), currently the opposition party. The DPJ is expected to win the August 30 elections in Japan.

The pro-junta USDA led delegation, earlier, paid official visits to China and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the USDA is planning to organise a nation-wide conference in October at its newly constructed office in Burma’s jungle capital city of Naypyitaw.

Sources in the USDA leadership said, the ruling military junta is likely to announce the electoral law for the 2010 general elections before the conference in October. The conference is expected to fully endorse the junta’s plan.

The USDA office, located in a remote area of Naypyitaw along the Rangoon highway, is heading for completion.