Thousands of people took part yesterday, February 3, in a demonstration organized in Tokyo, Japan, to protest against the military coup in Myanmar and the arrest of Burmese leader Aung san Suu Kyi.
The demonstration, co-organized by the Union of Myanmar Citizens’ Association, was attended by about 2,000 people, who gathered in front of the Japanese Foreign Ministry to demand that the government “make its voice heard more.” Nova news agency reports. Kyaw Kyaw Soe, one of the organizers of the protest, sent a written request to the Southeast Asian Affairs Department of the Foreign Ministry, asking Tokyo to bring its weight of “political, diplomatic and economic potency” to bear to promote the restoration of democracy in Myanmar. “The coup has made it difficult for Burmese citizens in Japan to return to their country. We have been deprived of our freedoms,” the activist said.
The government of Japan expressed concern about the military coup in Myanmar this morning, which culminated in the arrest of that country’s top civilian government leaders and the Burmese military’s proclamation of a one-year state of emergency. “It is important that the parties involved resolve the situation peacefully through dialogue, and in line with the dictates of the democratic process,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesman for the Government of Japan, Katsunobu Kato, at a press conference. Kato added that the Japanese government is gathering information about the situation from its embassy in Yangon, the largest city and economic capital of Myanmar.
The emergency meeting convened by the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Feb. 2, in the aftermath of the coup by Myanmar’s armed forces, closed without agreement among member states on a possible collective response. This is reported by the U.S. press, according to which China and Russia have asked for more time to assess developments in the South Asian country. According to a source quoted by the “Washington Times” newspaper, the Council will continue negotiations in an attempt to establish a united front, and arrive if possible at the publication of a joint statement. The United Kingdom, which chairs the Council, was aiming to approve a joint statement condemning the coup in Myanmar, and calling for the immediate release of arrested civilian leaders; however, such statements require the unanimous consent of the 15 member countries of the Council. During the meeting, the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, condemned the actions of the Burmese military leadership and called for a joint response from the international community.
by Basit Abbasi – CCTV