TOKYO: Japan on Tuesday distanced itself from a visit to Myanmar by its special envoy during which, according to military-run media in Myanmar, he played a role in the release from jail of U.S. journalist Danny Fenster.
Fenster, 37, the managing editor of magazine Frontier Myanmar, was freed on Monday three days after being sentenced to 11 years for incitement and violations of laws on immigration and unlawful assembly.
He had been detained since May, spurring an international campaign for his release that has highlighted the plight of media in the Southeast Asian nation roiled by internal strife since the military takeover in February threw it into chaos.
Myanmar's military-owned Myawaddy TV said on Monday Fenster had been granted an amnesty following requests from former U.S. state governor and diplomat with longstanding Myanmar ties Bill Richardson, who has been openly linked with the release effort.
But in a surprise, it also credited for the release Yohei Sasakawa, the chairman of the Nippon Foundation who doubles as Japan's special envoy on Myanmar for national reconciliation, as well as former Japanese minister Hideo Watanabe.
Both Sasakawa and Watanabe have for years cultivated close ties to the Myanmar military. Sasakawa met coup leader Min Aung Hlaing over the weekend, but his Nippon Foundation declined to comment on the talks, citing political sensitivity.
Myawaddy TV said Fenster was released in response to requests by Sasakawa, Watanabe and Richardson to "maintain the friendship between the countries and to emphasize humanitarian grounds".
Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, asked at a news conference about the reports of Sasakawa's involvement in the release, said the envoy was on visit to Myanmar in a personal capacity.
Hayashi said he was aware of Sasakawa's meeting with Min Aung Hlaing but said the visit "was not carried out in his capacity as the government representative" and his ministry was not involved in arranging it.
"The government has traditionally maintained a level of contact with Mr Sasakawa, but I would like to refrain from making the details of these communications public," said Hayashi.
He did not refer to Fenster's release but said Japan would continue its efforts towards improving and resolving the situation in Myanmar, including considering further humanitarian aid in coordination with international agencies.
The office of Watanabe's Japan-Myanmar Association declined to comment. In recent years Watanabe has been key to creating a special economic zone close to Myanmar's main city of Yangon that helped spur Japanese investment.
'IMPROVING RELATIONS'
Sasakawa's talks came amid a breakdown in a Southeast Asian peace process that Myanmar's neighbours say the junta has failed to follow, which led to the unprecedented decision to exclude Min Aung Hlaing from a regional summit last month.
Central to the decision was the military's refusal to grant a special Southeast Asian envoy access to the detained leader of Myanmar's ousted government, Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
It was unclear whether Sasakawa had asked to meet Suu Kyi or made any other conditions ahead of his talks with the isolated junta chief. Myanmar's main state-run newspaper reported the meeting on its front page, using Sasakawa's full title as Japan's envoy.
During his trip Sasakawa also met Myanmar's health minister, state media said, to discuss "conditions for Japan to donate COVID-19 vaccine to Myanmar, and issues that can be done to improve Japan-Myanmar relations".
Sasakawa also travelled to the northwestern Rakhine region riven by ethnic tensions where, according to media, he said that he had told junta officials his foundation would donate $8.5 million for internally displaced people.
Media also said Sasakawa promised a donation of $3 million-worth of COVID-19 vaccines for Myanmar. It was not clear whether the vaccines would be provided by the foundation or the government of Japan.
Hayashi did not directly address the question of any vaccine donation.
According to rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, 10,143 people have been arrested since the coup in Myanmar and 1,260 people killed in violence, most of them in a crackdown by security forces on protests and dissent.
Reuters
Tue Nov 16 2021
Managing editor of online magazine Frontier Myanmar, U.S. journalist Danny Fenster, is pictured in an unknown location in this undated handout picture made available to Reuters on November 12, 2021. - Frontier Myanmar/Handout via REUTERS
Pelajar PhD USIM ambil ujian di sebalik runtuhan di Gaza
Pelajar PhD USIM warga Palestin nekad menjalani Ujian Kelayakan yang dijalankan secara dalam talian pada Jumaat walaupun berdepan risiko dibom tentera Zionis pada bila-bila masa.
UMNO dan BN dokong calon PH demi Kerajaan Perpaduan - Ahmad Zahid
Presiden UMNOsedar taktik pihak tertentu yang cuba melaga-lagakan parti pimpinannya dengan parti komponen Pakatan Harapan itu.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu saksikan pertandingan empat penjuru
Keempat-empat calon itu ialah Khairul Azhari Saut (PN), Pang Sock Tao (PH), Nyau Ke Xin (Bebas) dan Hafizah Zainudin (Parti Rakyat Malaysia).
3 maut, 5 parah nahas dua pacuan empat roda
Tiga maut, lima parah dalam kemalangan membabitkan dua kenderaan pacuan empat roda di Jalan Kuala Krai-Gua Musang kira-kira jam 12.30 pagi tadi.
Penunjuk perasaan pro-Palestin di Paris kepung universiti
Penunjuk perasaan pro-Palestin mengepung bangunan dan kawasan hadpaan Universiti Sciences Po yang berprestij di Paris pada Jumaat.
Piala Thomas: Zii Jia pamer magis tarik perhatian ramai di Chengdu
Zii Jia merekodkan kemenangan ke atas Lee Cheuk Yiu dalam aksi yang mengambil masa 45 minit menghadirkan saat-saat terbaik dalam saingan pembukaan ini.
Youth All Girls raih gangsa di Amerika Syarikat
Pasukan sorak Malaysia Youth All Girls raih gangsa di The 2024 International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships (ICU JWCC) di Florida, Amerika Syarikat pada Khamis.
Perkembangan proses penamaan calon PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu
Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) membuka tirai hari ini dengan bermulanya proses penamaan calon pagi tadi di Dewan Serbaguna Dan Kompleks Sukan Daerah Hulu Selangor.
Firdaus Azil ada perincian untuk dikongsikan jam ini.
Firdaus Azil ada perincian untuk dikongsikan jam ini.
Malaysia-China bincang perkukuhkan kerjasama sektor pendidikan
Malaysia dan China membincangkan inisiatif strategik bagi memperluas serta memperkukuh jalinan kerjasama sektor pendidikan tinggi antara Kuala Lumpur-Beijing sempena sambutan ulang tahun ke-50 hubungan diplomatik Malaysia-China.
Perdana Menteri ke Riyadh sempena mesyuarat khas Forum Ekonomi Sedunia
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan mengadakan lawatan kerja ke Riyadh, Arab Saudi sempena mesyuarat khas forum sedunia World Economic Forum (WEF) bermula 27 hingga 29 April ini.
Konflik Myanmar: ASEAN tegas kepentingan laksana Konsensus Lima Perkara
ASEAN tegaskan semula komitmen bantu Myanmar cari penyelesaian dengan mewujudkan persekitaran kondusif melalu pelaksanaan Konsensus Lima Perkara.
Menteri luar ASEAN gesa henti segera keganasan di sempadan Myanmar
Menteri luar ASEAN menggesa semua pihak menghentikan segera keganasan dan melaksanakan sekatan sepenuhnya di kawasan sempadan Myanmar.
ASEAN: Saifuddin gesa Malaysia lebih proaktif tangani isu Myanmar
Usaha proaktif akan membolehkan Malaysia membentuk persekitaran yang aman dan inklusif dalam rantau ASEAN.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Pemegang kad UNHCR edar dadah di pasar borong
Kegiatan geng warga Myanmar edar dadah di pasar borong untuk kegunaan rakan senegara mereka berjaya dibongkar polis menerusi serbuan di Taman Sri Kuching, di sini pada Selasa.
Bangladesh hantar pulang 330 warga Myanmar
Bangladesh menghantar pulang kira-kira 330 warga Myanmar yang mencari perlindungan di negara itu, di tengah-tengah konflik di sempadan.
Terpengaruh iklan kerja gaji lumayan, pemuda jadi mangsa scammer
Seorang pemuda dari Rawang didera dan dipaksa menjadi 'scammer' atau penipu wang pelaburan kripto suatu sindiket beroperasi di Myawaddy, Myanmar.
Menteri Luar India, Bangladesh bincang situasi di Myanmar
Menteri Luar India dan Bangladesh mengadakan perbincangan berhubung situasi di Myanmar.
Lebih ramai Rohingya lari ke Bangladesh susulan pertempuran etnik di Myanmar
Ramai telah menyeberang ke kem pelarian Rohingya di tenggara Cox's Bazar yang menempatkan kira-kira 1.2 juta komuniti Islam dari Myanmar.
Korea Selatan, AS dan beberapa negara kutuk kekejaman tentera Myanmar
Korea Selatan, Amerika Syarikat dan beberapa negara lain menggesa tentera Myanmar segera menghentikan semua keganasan terhadap orang awam.