Burmese activists repose faith on new Japanese government

by Salai Pi Pi
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 21:14

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burmese pro-democracy activists on Wednesday met Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister in Tokyo and urged the Japanese government to pressurize Burma’s military rulers to implement change in the Southeast Asian nation.

The meeting held in the Deputy Foreign Minister’ office is the first ever after the Japanese opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) swept to a historic victory in elections in August this year.

Burmese pro-democracy activists led by Maung Maung, General Secretary of the National Coalition Union of Burma (NCUB) in exile, a coalition of political organisations, met Mr. Tesuro Fukuyama for about half an hour.

“We discussed issues related to Burmese opposition groups’ efforts to push the ruling junta to kick-start a process of national reconciliation in the country,” Dr. Min Nyo, representative of the NCUB for Japan, who was also present in the meeting, told Mizzima.

Dr. Min Nyo said, during the meeting, NCUB’s delegates also requested the Japanese government to support an effort to file a lawsuit against Than Shwe and the military leaders at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their crimes against humanity.

Along with Fukuyama, Mr Sue Matsu, Secretary of the Japanese Members of Parliament Union, and Japan’s Labour Unions’ President Mr. Koga were also present in the meeting.

Dr. Min Nyo said Fukuyama was interested in a proposal made by the NCUB delegates to have a permanent envoy in Japan in order help Burmese opposition get access to the Japanese government on matters related to Burmese affairs.

He said the Democratic Party of Japan, which came to power after defeating the Liberal Democratic Party, is likely to shift its approach on Burma and take a stronger stand in pushing the regime to begin national reconciliation.

Japan, under LDP rule, had been soft and was into quiet diplomacy in the past. It has avoided rhetorical condemnation and criticism of the Burmese regime.

“The present Japanese Prime Minister understands Burma’s problem. He has even talked to Aung San Suu Kyi and long supported the democracy movement,” Dr. Min Nyo said.

“The DPJ has also included supporting democracy in Burma as part of its policy,” he added.

Japan has stopped new aid to Burma since opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was put under house arrest in 2003 but it continues funding emergency health projects and provides training and technological assistance.

Japan, which sided with China and Russia against US’s proposed UN Security Council resolution on Burma in 2006, threatened to suspend about 500 million Yen aid to Burma after a Japanese photojournalist, Kenji Nagai, was shot dead by a Burmese soldier during the crack down on monk-led protesters in September 2007.

However, Japan resumed relief aid to Burma after the deadly Nargis Cyclone lashed Burma’s delta areas, leaving over 130,000 people dead and missing and about 2.4 million people devastated in May 2008.