Meeting with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Tara Kono discussed Myanmar’s refugee issues. Japan pledged support for investigations into the longstanding crisis on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. “As a friend of Myanmar, Japan wants to help its government and people resolve the challenges it is facing,” Kono told reporters after the August 31st meeting. He expressed his hope for a safe return of hundreds of thousands of displaced Muslims who self-identify as Rohingyas.
The positive meeting with a key trade partner is a political win for the State Counsellor and NLD government. The administration has been beset by allegations of human rights abuse after the Myanmar military carried out mass “clearance operations” of muslims in Rakhines State in September, 2017, leaving more than 700,000 displaced. The actions have tainted Aung San Suu Kyi’s global reputation and many political alliances for Myanmar. Some blame it for a downturn in both foreign investment and tourism.
