The Lower House on Tuesday adopted a resolution condemning the Feb. 1 coup staged by the Myanmar military and urging the Southeast Asian country to return to democracy.
The move reflects Japan’s intention to show its opposition to the Myanmar junta ahead of a three-day summit meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations slated to begin Friday in Britain.
The resolution, adopted in a House of Representatives plenary session, described the military coup as an “act to trample on efforts and expectations for democratization” and called on the Japanese government to “make full use of all diplomatic resources and every effort to realize” the restoration of democracy in Myanmar.
It said the military junta “cannot be justified at all” and expressed “solidarity with the people of Myanmar,” in reference to peaceful protesters.
The Lower House also demanded an immediate halt of the junta’s violence against civilians and the early release of political detainees including civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
A similar resolution is expected to be adopted Friday during a plenary session of the House of Councilors.
More than four months after the military takeover, the junta’s violence against civilians continues with the number of people killed surpassing 850 as of Monday, according to a human rights group monitoring the situation in the Southeast Asian country.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.