Japan envoy Sasakawa meets Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing: State media
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Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing speaking at the Vietnam-Myanmar Business Forum in Hanoi during his official state visit to Vietnam in September.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Japanese envoy Yohei Sasakawa met Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw on Oct 20, state media said, as foreign re-engagement with the isolated country increases.
- They discussed help for “Myanmar’s internal peace process” and support from the Nippon Foundation to develop the country’s human resources.
- The visit comes after the 2021 coup and civil war, which has killed more than 100,000 people and displaced over 3.5 million, while Japan and the US step up contacts.
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NAYPYITAW – Myanmar’s junta chief-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing met on Oct 20 with Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa in the capital Naypyitaw, state media reported, as international re-engagement with the South-east Asian nation ramps up after years of diplomatic isolation.
Sasakawa, the honorary chair of the Nippon Foundation who also serves as Japan’s special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar, met with Min Aung Hlaing on Oct 20, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on Oct 21.
During their talks, the two discussed plans for Sasakawa to provide assistance to “Myanmar’s internal peace process”, as well as support from the foundation to develop the country’s human resources, the newspaper reported.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 military coup led by Min Aung Hlaing deposed an elected civilian government, triggering a nationwide civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people and displaced over 3.5 million.
Japan’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the visit by Sasakawa, who has long been involved in mediating between Myanmar’s military and the armed groups opposed to it.
In 2022, Sasakawa helped broker a truce between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army rebel group in Rakhine, according to the Nippon Foundation.
However, the ceasefire has since collapsed, leading to renewed fighting.
The United States has already started to re-engage with Myanmar, with the two countries holding talks in Tokyo in October.
Japan’s acting envoy to Myanmar also met the Myanmar foreign minister in October in their first known public engagement, which followed a September visit to Naypyitaw by Japanese ruling party lawmaker Hiromichi Watanabe. REUTERS