Japanese national detained in Myanmar, embassy confirms
- On Saturday, Japanese and local media said filmmaker Toru Kubota, 26, was detained near an anti-government rally along with two Myanmar citizens
- Last year’s military coup sparked protests and a deadly response from the junta, with more than 2,000 people killed and at least 14,000 arrested
A military coup last year sparked rolling protests and a deadly response from the junta, with more than 2,000 people killed and at least 14,000 arrested, according to a local monitoring group.
On Saturday, Japanese and local media said filmmaker Toru Kubota, 26, was detained near an anti-government rally along with two Myanmar citizens.
“I can confirm a Japanese national was detained yesterday in Yangon,” an official at the Japanese embassy said on Sunday, requesting anonymity. The embassy is “in contact with the authorities and taking measures to secure their release”.
The Japanese official, who did not confirm the identity of the detained individual, said they had no information on whether he was arrested during a protest. A junta spokesperson was not available for comment.
A small crowd rallied outside Japan’s foreign ministry in Tokyo on Sunday, holding placards of Kubota.