Myanmar army officers entered the Japanese diplomat's home | Halek Hossain

 

Just months after Myanmar's army seized power in a coup in February, military officials forcibly entered the homes of a Japanese diplomat and a Japanese aid agency official, sources said.

In mid-April, the army searched the residences of local Japanese embassy officials and a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) official in Yangon, the country's largest city. Japan's foreign ministry has protested the intrusion of Myanmar's military junta. At one stage of the search, the men pointed a gun at the family, sources said.

The national army said it had searched for "Myanmar people on the wanted list".

A top ministry official believed that "the search was not aimed at the Japanese," and denied that the incident would directly affect Japanese policy toward Myanmar.

However, the official added, "We decide on policy after considering a wide range of factors, so this instance must be factored into the evidence we examine and judge."

According to Japanese government officials, late at night on April 17, multiple armed military officers and police searched the condominium building where a Japanese diplomat and a JICA official live.

They told the receptionist, a Myanmar national, that they had come to look for people wanted by the Myanmar military government. "We'll be submitting our security camera footage to you, so please don't inquire," replied the receptionist.

They then beat up the employee and entered.

The doors to the quarters where Japanese civilians lived were locked, but the military used a master key to open them. The diplomat met them at the entrance of the house, where military officers barged into the JICA official's living room and pointed their guns at the occupants.

In both cases, the army quickly left without harming anyone after determining that the residents were Japanese citizens. The foreign ministry protested that Myanmar's military actions violated the Vienna Convention, which states that diplomats should be protected from harm and should not intrude on their residences.

According to the ministry, Myanmar officials responded, “If this is true, it is unfortunate. We will contact our security forces." Senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office are treating it as an 'accidental' incident.

A day before the search, supporters of the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, announced the formation of a national unity government to oppose the national army, raising tensions.

The military has increased pressure on pro-democracy activists and senior officials believe that this particular incident happened because some military officers were agitated. After a day of searching, Japanese journalist Yuki Kitazumi was detained by security forces in Yangon.

The Japanese government has become increasingly frustrated with the Myanmar military as they ignore Japanese requests to improve the situation.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi revealed at a press conference on May 21 that the government is considering ending its official development assistance to Myanmar altogether. "If this situation continues, we will have to reconsider it," Motegi said.

But sources in both countries said Myanmar's military government had become increasingly disgruntled with Japan's non-disbursement of development aid funds. Japan has already announced that it has stopped providing aid for new projects. But grants for ongoing projects from before the February 1 coup appear to have stopped.

(This article was written by Halek Hossain international correspondent.)

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