THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
February 22, 2023 at 18:48 JST
Hideo Watanabe, second from left, chairman of the Japan Myanmar Association, stands for a photo with Min Aung Hlaing, center, the military leader of the Myanmar government. (Provided by Myanmar information ministry)
Although the Japanese government has distanced itself from the Myanmar military regime, two Japanese politicians accepted medals from its military leaders for pushing for official development assistance for the Southeast Asian nation.
Hideo Watanabe, a former telecommunications minister who also serves as chairman of the Japan Myanmar Association, received the award along with Taro Aso, the former finance minister and current vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The awards ceremony on Feb. 20 in Naypyitaw was attended by Min Aung Hlaing, the military leader of the government, who presented the medal to Watanabe. Watanabe also received the award on behalf of Aso.
The Japanese government strongly criticized the Myanmar military regime after a coup two years ago that led to the arrest of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
An official with the Japanese Embassy in Myanmar said, “The government is not in a position to comment because the awards went to individuals.”
The latest award could become another item in a long list of controversies that have led to criticism of Aso, a former prime minister, both in Japan and abroad.
According to the state-run newspaper, which ran a front-page story in its Feb. 21 issue, the awards were in recognition of the contributions made by Aso and Watanabe for the “development, peace and prosperity of Myanmar.”
At the ceremony, Min Aung Hlaing thanked Watanabe for his efforts to “promote friendship between Myanmar and Japan, to develop Myanmar and to promote Japanese investment in Myanmar.”
Watanabe was also asked to pass on to Aso the Myanmar military regime’s appreciation for his contributions.
After the coup in 2021, the government halted new ODA to Myanmar and has called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other government leaders as well as the restoration of a democratically elected government and an immediate halt to violence against the Myanmar people.
But the military regime has ignored those requests and continues to oppress the public.
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