Imperial Army leader Hideki Tojo commanded the nation from 1941-1944. Once he decided to launch a total war against the Anglo-American Powers in December 1941, his own authority was tied to the success or failure on the battlefield.
Mobile internet services have been suspended and orders banning public assembly imposed in some areas of Manipur, a small Indian state bordering Myanmar, in the wake of a blockade of two national highways organized by a students’ group, and a street battle on August 6 with police in West Imphal in which about thirty students were injured.
A year and a half after the brutal military coup, responses to the crisis in Myanmar remain muted, including towards the ongoing genocide of the Rohingya people.
Since the Myanmar coup last February, Japan has been under pressure to cut its links with the military regime. However, far more lies under the surface of this long-running bilateral relationship than many people perceive, making policy decisions quite complex.
Although there have been calls for immigration reform following the death of Sri Lankan national Wishma Sandamali in a detention center, the actual prospects for improvement in Japan’s controversial refugee and immigration system are not particularly bright.
Amidst political chaos, military violence, and a lethal pandemic, some Myanmarese are lining up in the thousands to go out of their homes, onto the streets, and to risk their lives.
The Covid-19 crisis became a dominating issue for the world, and Japan is no exception. This is a timeline of the events so far.
In comparison to other G7 nations, Japan has been taking a weak approach to the recent coup in Myanmar, led by the country’s Tatmadaw, or military forces. This includes Japan’s refusal to impose sanctions, official statements that have been widely viewed as being too soft, and a reference to the Myanmar military’s top diplomat as being the “foreign minister.”
Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori represents the worst of Japan’s politics, melding misogyny with racism.
Long-simmering fears of a military-led subversion of Myanmar’s recent steps toward democracy became reality this week as the nation’s armed forces arrested civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and announced a one-year state of emergency that transfers power to Min Aung Hlaing, the Southeast Asian country’s top general.
