Japan slow to join global chorus denouncing Myanmar coup

Feb 02, 2021 | News On Japan

Feb 02, 2021 (Nikkei) - 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.

Toyota to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in 2027

Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker's efforts to expand driverless transportation services.

Mount Fuji Puts on First Snowcap

Mount Fuji has received its first snowcap of the season, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 30, after temperatures at the summit plunged to minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, marking the arrival of winter conditions on Japan's highest mountain.

Chinese Female Spy Suspected of Targeting Nvidia Chief

U.S. intelligence agencies suspect that a Chinese female intelligence operative developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in an attempt to obtain confidential corporate and U.S. government information, according to a report published by The New York Times on October 29th.

Japan Blocks Websites Leaking GMO Personal Data

The Japanese government has asked major telecommunications operators to forcibly block access to websites believed to contain personal information stolen in a cyberattack on GMO, it emerged on October 29th, as authorities moved to prevent further exposure of sensitive data online.

Typhoon No. 31 Heads Toward Japan's Remote Islands

Typhoon No. 31 was located near Minamitorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, as of 3 a.m. on October 30, and was expected to approach the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo over the October 31-November 1 weekend while maintaining very strong intensity, bringing a growing risk of dangerously high waves, powerful swells and extremely rough seas.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Landlords Bear Financial Burden of Lonely Deaths

Japan's rapidly aging population is facing a growing crisis of elderly people dying alone at home, with grieving families sometimes unable to see their loved ones before burial and landlords increasingly forced to shoulder substantial cleanup and estate clearance costs when relatives abandon their inheritance.

Prison Inmates Help Preserve Japan's Traditional Crafts

Traditional Japanese crafts are finding an unexpected source of skilled workers in prisons across the country, where inmates are learning painstaking production techniques that build patience and concentration while helping preserve industries struggling with a shortage of craftspeople.

South Korean Man Arrested Over Killing of Japanese Woman Following Stock Crash

A Japanese woman in her 20s was found dead at an apartment complex in Cheonan, central South Korea, on October 29th, prompting police to detain a South Korean man in his 30s on suspicion of murder after he allegedly confessed to killing her because he had decided to commit suicide following stock market losses but could not bring himself to die alone.

Japan's Imperial Family Hosts Autumn Garden Party

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted the annual autumn garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on October 29, welcoming approximately 1,400 guests, including actor Kotaro Yoshida and novelist Miyuki Miyabe, while female members of the Imperial Family attended in traditional Japanese attire.

Rescuers Save Paraglider Who Stopped Breathing

A 59-year-old water sports rental shop owner in Omachi, Nagano Prefecture, has received a letter of appreciation from police after rescuing a paraglider who plunged into a lake on September 21, pulling the unconscious man from the water and performing CPR after discovering he was no longer breathing.

Couple's Gardening Hobby Turns Out to Be Cannabis Cultivation

A married couple in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, have been arrested after police discovered cannabis plants growing in pots on the terrace of their home during a search connected to a separate investigation, authorities said on October 28th.

Elderly Woman Drives Along Railway Tracks, Ends in Tragedy

A woman in her 80s was killed after her car entered railway tracks on the Odakyu Enoshima Line in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly before 10:30 p.m. on October 27, with security camera footage showing the vehicle traveling along the tracks, passing an oncoming train and stopping with its hazard lights flashing before being struck from behind by another train.

Teen Hospitalized After Electric Shock From Basketball Hoop

A teenage male was rushed to a hospital after suffering an electric shock while putting away a motorized basketball hoop at a gymnasium in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in an accident believed to have been caused by an incompatible extension cord, according to a report on October 27th.

< 2 3 4 5 >