Japan slashes aid to Myanmar over crackdown

Japan cancelled about five million dollars aid to Myanmar an action to protest against the junta's recent crackdown on Buddhist and pro democracy demonstrations in which a Japanese journalist too was shot dead from a close range.

Japan, a bit reserve in its position along with its Western allies who have planned a global action to isolate the Burmese junta- regime.

Foreign Ministerof Japan Mr Masahiko Komura announced cancelling grants of up to 552 million yen (4.7 million dollars), approximately eighteen percent of the total grants and technical assistance Japan aided Myanmar last year.

"The Japanese government needs to show our stance. We cannot take action that would effectively support the military regime at this moment," Komura told reporters.

Japan, China,Malaysia,Russia with the United States and the European Union, has been one of the largest donors to Myanmar, Japan takes the plea that it only provides humanitarian aid to the country.

Japanese government had earlier apprehensions about sanctions to Myanmar, Lest it may bring Burmese junta more closer to China, which is enormous trading market ties,cities of Burma flooded with Chinese articles.

Japan and China two Asian Tigers ready to influence South Asian and Far east countries and China in particularly in Southeast Asia.

Cancelled grants an intend to finance the project of a human resources centre in Myanmar. Japense grant aid project for which Japan was exchanging notes with the Myanmar government.



"We presume there will be some requests in the future. We will make a judgment on each case by looking at the situation at that point of time," said a Japanese government official who declined to be named.

Buddhist monks last month's pro democracy protests, which posed the biggest challenge to the regime in nearly 20 years. Troops and riot police unleashed force to end the demonstrations, leaving at least 13 people dead and more than 2,000 locked up.

Kenji Nagai, a video journalist for Tokyo-based who was killed on September 27 as he filmed the crackdown in Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon.

1. Government of Japan welcomes the issuance on October 11 (New York time) of the statement by the President of the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Myanmar, since it expresses the common concern of the international community concerning that situation.

2. With the issuance of the statement, the Government of Japan hopes that the Government of Myanmar will respond to the UN Secretary-General’s good offices efforts including the mission by Mr.Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General, and improve the situation of democratization and human rights in Myanmar.

3. The Government of Japan will continue to work constructively to improve the situation in Myanmar in coordination with the various efforts of the international community.