TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's delay in addressing the apparent coup in Myanmar has stood out as key leaders across the Indo-Pacific and the West speak out against the recent developments in the Southeast Asian nation.
Myanmar's military detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other high-profile leaders, ostensibly over flaws in the country's November election. The development comes as the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is feeling out its global partnerships, including the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue -- a coalition of like-minded countries committed to democracy and the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific, designed to counter China's growing clout across Asia.
"The United States is taking note of those who stand with the people of Burma in this difficult time," Biden said Monday in a statement condemning the military's move. While the statement likely had China in mind, it may have agonized diplomats in Tokyo.
News of Suu Kyi's detention broke early Monday in Japan. Japan's Foreign Ministry throughout the morning said it was still gathering information, until Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi finally issued a statement after 4 p.m -- seven hours following the report of the detention -- expressing "grave concern over the situation in Myanmar" and urging the release of Suu Kyi and other leaders.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato earlier that day had encouraged parties in Myanmar to resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue, repeating Japan's official line on the country. The government sent an e-mail to Japanese citizens in Myanmar to avoid unnecessarily travel, but did not make any statements explicitly criticizing the Myanmar military over the apparent coup.
Japan's response contrasts with the speedy, often harsher reaction by much of the international community, including the other members of the Quad. The U.S. White House had issued a statement within hours of the incident saying it "opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition."
Some say Suga is wary about commenting on Myanmar's internal affairs, which is not an invalid concern. Unlike the U.S. and Europe, Japan had also maintained relations with Myanmar's military junta before the country's democratic transition. It worries that isolation from the international community could push the country closer to China.
