SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Japanese national detained in Myanmar
Yangon, July 31 (AFP) Jul 31, 2022
A Japanese man has been detained in Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon, an official at Japan's embassy confirmed Sunday, the latest foreigner ensnared in the junta-ruled nation.

A military coup last year sparked rolling protests and a deadly response from the junta, with more than 2,000 people killed and at least 14,000 arrested, according to a local monitoring group.

On Saturday, Japanese and local media said filmmaker Toru Kubota, 26, was detained near an anti-government rally along with two Myanmar citizens.

"I can confirm a Japanese national was detained yesterday in Yangon," an official at the Japanese embassy told AFP Sunday, requesting anonymity.

The embassy is "in contact with the authorities and taking measures to secure their release".

The Japanese official, who did not confirm the identity of the detained individual, said they had no information on whether he was arrested during a protest.

A junta spokesperson was not available for comment.

Several foreigners have been arrested in the military's crackdown on dissent since the putsch.

Last year Japanese filmmaker Yuki Kitazumi was detained by Myanmar authorities while covering the coup's aftermath.

Under international pressure he was released and returned to Japan in May 2021.

Myanmar's junta has clamped down on press freedoms, arresting reporters and photographers, as well as revoking broadcasting licences.

As of March this year, 48 journalists remain in custody across the country, according to monitoring group Reporting ASEAN.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Out of the string theory swampland
Where did cosmic rays come from? MSU astrophysicists are closer to finding out
Silicate clouds discovered in atmosphere of distant exoplanet

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Auto sector reels from China's rare earth restrictions
c-FIRST Team Sets Sights on Future Fire-observing Satellite Constellations
Leaders warn race for minerals could turn seabed into 'wild west'

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Japan says two Chinese aircraft carriers seen in Pacific
NATO learns as Ukraine's 'creativity' changes battlefield
Rare earths: China's trump card in trade war with US

24/7 News Coverage
'No doubt' Canadian firm will be first to extract deep sea minerals: CEO
What is the high seas treaty?
World leaders urged to step up for overexploited oceans



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.