Statement at the Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary Mr. Yasuo Fukuda

June 22, 2001
(Provisional Translation)

Japan welcomes the release of 5 members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) by the Government of the Union of Myanmar on June 21, as a step to further promote the confidence building between the Government of Myanmar and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as to develop environment for further dialogue between the two parties.
Those measures could be construed as the ones taken by the Myanmar government, following the release of 10 NLD members between June 13 and 15, by taking into consideration the efforts made by the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy H.E. Mr. Razali Ismail, as well as constructive engagement policy towards Myanmar by the international community, including Japan and the countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Japan thus highly appreciates the decisive step taken by the Myanmar government.
Japan hopes for further progress in democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar following further releases of the political prisoners and further progress of the dialogue between the two parties.

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