Japan’s refusal to sanction Myanmar junta undermines Biden’s strategy
When hundreds of protesters gathered outside Japan’s embassy in Yangon during the height of nationwide anti-coup protests in February, Ambassador Ichiro Maruyama emerged from the gates with a firm warning for the junta: Release the detained civilian leadership “immediately.”
The remarks, delivered in Burmese, drew applause from prodemocracy demonstrators hoping Japan would take concrete action to pressure Myanmar’s military, also known as the Tatmadaw. But since then Japan has resisted calls to impose sanctions or suspend ongoing infrastructure projects, saying only it would avoid carrying out any new non-humanitarian deals with the junta.
What’s more, some influential Japanese voices want to embrace the junta.
Yusuke Watanabe, secretary general of the influential Japanmyanmar Association—a group stocked with top Japanese politicians and business leaders—wrote in an opinion piece last month that Tokyo “must position itself as a bridge between the Tatmadaw and the United States and other democratic countries rather than blindly aligning itself with the Western policy of regime change.” Watanabe, the son of a former cabinet minister, touted himself as “one of the few foreigners in constant contact” with coup leader Min Aung hlaing. Japan’s reluctance to put financial pressure on the military shows the difficulties President Joe Biden faces in convincing US allies in Asia to put real teeth behind calls to defend democracy, a key theme he expressed last week at the Group of Seven summit and other stops in europe. For Japan and India in particular—two countries along with Australia that make up the Us-backed Quad grouping — tough measures against the junta only risk increasing the regional influence of China. They’ve also avoided joining Western democracies in sanctioning Chinese officials over alleged human-rights abuses in Xinjiang. “The Japanese don’t believe in sanctions,” said nobuhiro Aizawa, an associate professor at Kyushu University specializing in Southeast Asian politics and international relations. The Japanese view, he said, is “if you don’t accept the democratic principle of governance, you’re not going to be economically successful. And if you’re not economically successful, you’re not be able to stay in power.” Japan has urged the military to cease violence, release those taken into custody and restore democracy. On June 8, lawmakers in the country’s lower house passed a resolution condemning the military takeover.
“Within the international community our country has many routes of communication with Myanmar, including the Myanmar military,” a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said by phone in response to written questions. “We understand that many countries, not just ours, are considering what is the best way to deal with this, based on the situation.”
Still, the country also has a history of defending Myanmar generals. In 2019, Ambassador Maruyama said “there is no genocide in Myanmar” in response to a case at the International Court of Justice over allegations of atrocities on its Muslim Rohingya population in western Rakhine State. “We fully believe that the Myanmar military will keep its promise” to prosecute anyone who committed human-rights abuses, the Irrawaddy quoted him as saying.