Japan’s approach toward Myanmar means holding talks with military

The Japanese government is taking its own diplomatic approach toward Myanmar in the wake of a military coup there.

The government is working on dialogue with Myanmar’s junta using its connections to the military, differing from Western nations, which have focused on sanctions.

However, there is no sign of improvement in the situation in Myanmar. Thus, the government has also begun reconsidering economic aid to the Southeast Asian nation.

“We strongly condemn the ongoing violence against civilians,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference Monday.

Myanmar’s security forces have been suppressing protests, leading to deaths and injuries among protesters.

While the other Group of Seven leading industrial nations have taken concerted steps in condemning the coup and violent suppression of protests, only Japan has continued to have dialogue with the Myanmar military.

“Dialogue by Japan and sanctions by Western countries means we split our roles like good cop, bad cop,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said.

Ambassador to Myanmar Ichiro Maruyama is the key to Japan’s approach. Since joining the Foreign Ministry in 1978, he has worked at the Japanese Embassy in Myanmar for 20 years over four occasions, including a period when the country was called Burma. He speaks the local language fluently.

“Maruyama is a valuable presence as he can have contact with the military and Aung San Suu Kyi,” a source connected to the Foreign Ministry said, referring to the deposed former de facto leader.

Thus, Western countries are paying attention to Maruyama’s actions.

On Feb. 20, protesters visited the Japanese Embassy and asked Maruyama to assist them in restoring civilian rule to Myanmar. At the time, he talked with the protesters in the national language in front of many reporters.

The Japanese government has continued communicating with the junta mainly via Maruyama.

Sources said the government has notified the Myanmar military of the possibility that Japan may scale down economic cooperation with the country unless the situation improves.

The Japanese government is not considering a total suspension of economic aid due to the concern that Myanmar will be isolated and thus look to deepen its reliance on China again.

The Development Cooperation Charter, a guideline for Japan’s provision of official development assistance (ODA), stipulates that the government should pay sufficient attention to recipient countries’ “process of democratization, the rule of law and the protection of basic human rights.”

In addition, in cases such as when demonstrators are killed or injured, the government policy is to carefully review whether to proceed with each ODA project. (March 5)