By YUICHI NOBIRA/ Staff Writer
September 29, 2022 at 13:28 JST
International human rights groups denounced the Japanese government for inviting the Myanmar ambassador to Japan to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state funeral.
The Myanmar Foreign Ministry posted photos of Soe Han attending the service on social media on Sept. 27.
“Having (a representative) from a country where the army is taking power attend the state funeral is an act of approving the military regime,” said an official from Human Rights Watch.
In Myanmar, the military seized power in a coup in February last year. The brutal crackdown resulted in the deaths of many civilians including protesters and activists.
The Japanese government expressed “grave concern,” along with Western countries. They called on the junta to immediately cease violence against civilians, release detainees and quickly restore Myanmar’s democratic political system.
The Japanese government notified all countries with which it has diplomatic relations regarding Abe’s state funeral.
The Foreign Ministry said “the decision was made in light of the nature of the funeral” and that it did not exclude countries such as Myanmar.
Russia, which continues its aggression against Ukraine, was also notified.
Myanmar residents in Japan and human rights groups protested, urging Tokyo not to invite anyone from the military to the state funeral.
Soe Han, however, attended the service held at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward.
The Myanmar Foreign Ministry posted photos of Soe Han’s attendance on its website and on Facebook.
“(The photos) are being used as propaganda that the military regime is the legitimate government representing Myanmar,” said Teppei Kasai, a Human Rights Watch official.
“The international community is working together to not endorse the military regime, but the Japanese government is doing the opposite,” he said.
British media said countries with which Britain has diplomatic relations were, in principle, invited to the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II held on Sept. 19. Countries such as Russia, Myanmar and Syria were not invited, however.
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Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry posted photos of Soe Han, Myanmar’s ambassador to Japan, attending former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state funeral on its Facebook page. (Captured from Myanmar Foreign Ministry’s Facebook page)
