Japan lawmakers demand sanctions against Myanmar military leaders after Joe Biden's move

On February 10, Japanese lawmakers asked the government in power to impose sanctions against the military leaders in Myanmar, following an organized coup by the military's Junta that unlawfully overturned the civilian government in the country. In a letter addressed to the government, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party made an appeal to work in collaboration with the US and the European Union (EU) in order to impose trade and economic embargo on Myanmar, and halt all aids to the country, barring humanitarian, according to Japan’s NHK news agency.

This comes as US President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order imposing sanctions against the military regime in Myanmar, freezing all US assets that benefit Myanmar’s military leaders. "Japan should work with the US and EU countries to implement effective sanction measures,” ANI quoted the Japanese nonpartisan group, now readying to take retaliatory action against the Myanmar coup leaders after the US.

In a confidential document, submitted to the government, Japan’s ministers condemned the military’s seizure of political power, calling it  “an outrageous act that undermines efforts made so far toward democracy and goes against the hopes and expectations of people in Myanmar”. Further, they urged for a ‘strong action’ from the Japanese government that leads to the release of Myanmar’s de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house detention.

Lawmakers urged the Japanese government to pressurize Myanmar’s Junta Party to ‘immediately’ release National League for Democracy (NLD) party’s civilian leaders and “transfer all the powers to democratic rule”. This comes just a day after Myanmar’s military, along with the police raided the party’s Yangon office during Tuesday night, sources Sources related to NLD informed NHK World. 

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Read: Myanmar Crisis: Protesters Return To Streets In Huge Numbers Despite Police Violence

[Protestors on the streets of Myanmar’s capital Naypyitawin. Credit: AP]

[Police in riot gear stand guard while blocking a road to prevent protesters from marching forward. Credit: AP]

Citizens rebuke ‘dictatorship’

Following the coup, tens of thousands in Myanmar crying chants against the military’s unlawful seize of power congregated in the country’s biggest city, Yangon, despite the nationwide internet outage at the time. Protesters, waving Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) flags, and pro-democracy banners demanded the civilian leader’s release, as they rebuked the ‘dictatorship’. “We demand democracy”, the mob chanted as they rallied through the downtown Yangon, in defiance of the military’s takeover of political leadership.

Angry citizens, many of whom were seen clad in Suu Kyi’s political party signatures, protested “We do not want military dictatorship”. Scores of military police in riot gear and carrying protective shields were deployed as protesters confronted the officers flashing three-finger Hunger Games salute, typical of a pro-democratic movement that defies authoritarianism. The widespread protest movement was joined by many police officers that refused the exhortations to return to their duty and instead demonstrated against the nation's armed forces. 

Read: About 40 Myanmar Police Defect To Join Protesters

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