Statement by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Release of the Political Detainees in Myanmar

November 22, 2002
Japanese

The Government of Japan welcomes the release by the Government of Myanmar on November 21, 2002, of 115 political detainees, including a large number of NLD (National League for Democracy) members. This release of the political detainees is the largest in scale in recent years.
The Government of Japan considers this positive move is the fruit of efforts by the Government of Myanmar and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi toward national reconciliation, as well as by Mr. Razali Ismail, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Myanmar, who has extended support for the national reconciliation process, and by the international community including Japan.
Japan hopes that the Government of Myanmar will continue to release political detainees while the NLD will also strive to maintain and strengthen the burgeoning mutual confidence with the Government.
When I visited Myanmar in August this year, I urged the Government of Myanmar to release the political detainees and promote dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called for further efforts for democratization and nation-building when he met with Prime Minister Than Shwe of Myanmar on the occasion of the ASEAN+3 (Japan, China and the ROK) summit held recently. Japan intends to continue to extend its full support for this process so that democratization will progress steadily through substantive dialogue between both parties concerned while political stability is maintained in Myanmar.

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