Japan exhorts Burma to free Aung San Suu Kyi before 2010 poll

by Salai Pi Pi
Monday, 09 November 2009 22:00

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has exhorted the Burmese military junta to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners before the 2010 general elections in the country.

Yukio Hatoyama on Saturday met Thein Sein on the sidelines of a two-day summit between Japan and the Mekong Region Countries at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, according to the Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry.

During the meeting, the Japanese PM told his Burmese counterpart that it was extremely important that a substantive dialogue proceeds between the Burmese regime and the Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her party the National League for Democracy (NLD).

“Her release and that of other political prisoners is essential in order to make the 2010 elections credible to the international community,” the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s statement said.

Hatoyama, the statement said, specifically urged his Burmese counterpart to allow the re-opening of the NLD offices, and expressed his hope for an improvement of freedom of speech and association, and for a substantive dialogue between the regime and ethnic minorities.

Thein Sein, reportedly, told Hatoyama that the Burmese military regime is making efforts to issue an electoral law at an appropriate time to allow any person or political parties, as well as people whose opinions differ from the regime, to participate in the planned elections.

In response, Hatoyama expressed his appreciation of the regime’s efforts to enable all stakeholders to participate in the election and expressed his hope that the democratization process would develop.

Japan has a different policy towards Burma compared to Western countries including the United States, which has long imposed sanctions. Japan continues to provide humanitarian aid to Burma. For the fiscal year 2008, Japan’s aid to Burma touched 1.18 billion yen ($13.13 million) and 1.64 billion yen in technical assistance.

“Japan is considering a further increase in humanitarian aid and technical assistance on the basis of positive steps taken by the regime such as the recent release of political prisoners, resumption of dialogue between military generals and Aung San Suu Kyi and the start of a dialogue with the United States,” an unofficial translation of the Japanese Foreign Ministry statement said.

Critics and observers believe that Japan will accept the results of the junta’s elections in 2010, despite calling for free and fair elections. Japan has long maintained silence over political developments in Burma.

Yuki Akimoto, Director of Burmainfo (Japan), on Monday told Mizzima that no matter what the pressure, the Japanese government in the end is likely to accept the result of the forthcoming elections.

“Japan supports the elections in general. I think it is likely to recognize the result of the elections even if Aung San Suu Kyi and her party NLD do not participate,” said Akimoto.

She said it is very likely for Japan to also urge the NLD to contest the elections.

But Akimoto said, “Japan should try to see the situation in Burma clearly. The election will be neither free nor fair. Japan has to understand that the election that is based on the 2008 constitution will not lead to democracy in Burma.”

Meanwhile, Tin Win, President of the Tokyo based Federation of Workers’ Union of Burmese Citizens (in Japan) said he was very upset to see the ruling Japanese government still clinging to the same policy practiced by the previous government. He added that the Japanese government ‘easily believes in the junta’s statement’ on progress of the political process in Burma.

“Though the ruling [Japanese] government promised to take a stronger stand against the Burmese regime before it won the elections, so far it has not taken a changed stance,” Tin Win told Mizzima.

Burmese dissidents and activists had high hopes about the ruling Democratic Party of Japan as it came to power after defeating the Liberal Democratic Party, believing that it is likely to shift its approach on Burma and push for further democratization in the country.

The DPJ has also included supporting democracy in Burma as part of its policy. Moreover, the present Japanese Prime Minister has long supported the democracy movement and has even talked to Aung San Suu Kyi.

But Akimoto said though the new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama could not make drastic changes in the policy towards Burma as the foreign policy of Japan is dominated by bureaucrats, “I hope he will eventually overcome the barriers on the policy shift,” Akimoto said.