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On March 3, DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada held a 40 minute telephone meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar (also known as Burma). The meeting was also attended by International Department Director-General Chinami Nishimura and Vice Director-General Naoto Sakaguchi for the DPJ.
After the telephone meeting had ended, Okada spoke with reporters, explaining that the meeting had been realized thanks to the efforts of Sakaguchi, and that during the meeting, opinions had been exchanged regarding support for the democratization of Myanmar.
During the conversation, Okada referred to the fact that he had held a number of dialogues during his term of office as Minister for Foreign Affairs with both Myanmar’s then Prime Minister Thein Sein and Foreign Minister Nyan Win regarding the democratization of Myanmar and holding open elections. He also paid his respects to Suu Kyi for continuing her efforts on behalf of the people of Myanmar under extremely difficult conditions.
Suu Kyi called for international support, saying, “I would like the international community, including the government of Japan, to provide support for the true democratization of Myanmar.” In response, Okada stated, “We stand ready to provide economic assistance in earnest should free and fair elections be implemented, and the democratization process advance.”
Suu Kyi further expressed her gratitude for Japanese support and for Japan’s acceptance of refugees from Myanmar under the third-country resettlement program, stating “Japan has been able to achieve economic development due to its being a developed democracy. Allowing Burmese refugees to live in Japan will also enable the Japanese people to gain a greater understanding of the situation in our nation.
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