Asian Values: Japan and "Myanmar"

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Subject: Asian Values:  Japan and "Myanmar" from The Daily Yomiuri 

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"No matter how dictatorial a country's government may be, support should
be extended to it for its economic development." 

"It would be all right if we did not know what the military government is
doing in Myanmar."

"As Asian politicians maintain, one of the special characteristics of the
region is a spirit of tolerance. ....  this originates from Buddhism, Hindu and
Islam. These religions do not share Christianity's insistence that there is
only one god."


The Daily Yomiuri
June 26, 1996

TAKE ASIAN - STYLE ACTION WITH MYANMAR

By Tatou Takahama

Yomiuri Research Institute

Japan is finally stepping out from behind the shadow of the United States
on foreign policy and pressing its own policies, especially in Asia. 

Take Myanmar. I was told that a senior U.S. government official and his
Japanese counterpart recently engaged in a heated argument over the
country. The Japanese official bitterly told Winston Lord, assistant secretary
of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, during a visit that Japan and the
United States "do not necessarily share the same values" over human
rights issues in Myanmar. 

The U.S. official was said to have been flabbergasted at the remark,
because the Japanese diplomat had the courage to reveal his true feelings
on the matter, while prime ministers and presidents have gone out of their
way in the past to stress that the two countries essentially share the same
values. 

U.s. Get - Tough Approach

The U.S. government has dispatched special envoys to Europe and Asia to
discuss the situation in Myanmar, where Aung San Suu Kyi and her
National League for Democracy have been stepping up confrontations with
the State Law and Order Restoration Council, Myanmar's military
government. 

William Brown and Stanley Roth, for instance, came to Japan on June 10
as emissaries to confer with Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda. The foreign
minister told the emissaries that Tokyo shared Washington's goal of
wanting to prevent the situation in Myanmar from deteriorating, particularly
in the wake of crackdowns on opposition forces. 

"Japan and the United States can join forces on the Myanmar question
because we share the same concerns and goals, even if we differ slightly
on concrete measures" that should be taken, a Foreign Ministry official
quoted Ikeda as telling Brown and Roth. 

Ikeda's "differ slightly" comment, however, only makes me wonder where
and how the two nations differ in their overall policies toward Myanmar. 

It is said that the U.S. approach calls for issuing a warning if the military
government bans opposition rallies and speeches and arrests Suu Kyi, and
that the United States would not hesitate to impose economic sanctions. 

On the other hand, the Japanese government maintains a policy of
noninterference in Myanmar's internal affairs and refrains from openly
criticizing the military government. 

It takes an Asian approach that is not highhanded but instead is aimed at
subtly persuading the military regime to ease its oppressive policy toward
the pro - democracy movement. 

Since the Japanese government suffers a guilty conscience for the nation's
military aggression against Myanmar during World War II, it does not speak
out against the regime. 

On the contrary, even the "liberal" Asahi Shimbun said in an editorial that
the military, having achieved independence after a long and hard period of
colonial rule, takes pride in leading the country. Thus, it balks at the idea of
foreign intervention, the paper said in a show of sympathy. 

A Japanese government official went further, saying, "It is not good for a
country like the United States to impose its ideas and policies on another
country. There is an Asian way of doing things. European and U.S. ways of
doing things make others rigid and have a boomerang effect on the trend
toward democracy." 

"No matter how dictatorial a country's government may be, support should
be extended to it for its economic development. While seeking
improvement in the lives of the people, attempts should be made to urge
the government to become flexible," a senior Foreign Ministry official told
me. "Such 'constructive engagement' is most effective with the Myanmar
military government." 

However, has Japan succeeded with that approach in the past? 

Back in the Aid Business

The Japanese government suspended new assistance to Myanmar
following the bloody military coup in 1988, but recognized the military
regime in 1989 when it dispatched a cabinet minister to the funeral of
Emperor Showa. It also resumed some aid to that nation. Furthermore, in
March 1994, the government resumed small - scale humanitarian and
emergency assistance. 

By the end of 1994, Japan's aggregate loans amounted to 402.9 billion
yen, grants totaled 125.8 billion yen and technical cooperation reached
16.6 billion yen. Japan was thus the world's biggest aid donor to Myanmar. 

In the meantime, the military government has remained in power although
Suu Kyi's NLD won the general election in 1990. The regime contends that
the transfer of power from the military is contingent on enactment of a new
constitution. 

The Japanese government has retained its policy of noninterference and
constructive engagement. In March 1995, it extended a grant of 1 billion
yen to help Myanmar boost its food production. 

As soon as Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest last year, the Japanese
government gave high marks to the Myanmar military government and
offered a grant of 1.6 billion yen for expansion of Myanmar's nursing
college. 

And now, the yen loans that have been put on hold are just a step short of
resumption. 

Ideals vs Tolerance

The concepts of freedom, democracy and human rights are ideals that we
must pursue. The degree of freedom and democracy may differ in nuance
from country to country. However, no one can deny the goal of human
rights. Even Myanmar and China are not exceptions. 

As Asian politicians maintain, one of the special characteristics of the
region is a spirit of tolerance. In general, radical action is shunned, with a
moderate approach preferred. According to former Prime Minister Yasuhiro
Nakasone, this originates from Buddhism, Hindu and Islam. These religions
do not share Christianity's insistence that there is only one god. I would not
argue with that. 

However, this is the modern age. 

It would be all right if we did not know what the military government is doing
in Myanmar. But we cannot remain silent when we learn from the media
that Myanmar's economic development is affected by our taxes and that
people in that country are being oppressed by the military regime. This is
not related to religion or culture. 

Japanese politicians should not let a handful of Foreign Ministry officials
determine Japan's policy toward Myanmar. They should go to Yangon and
negotiate directly with the country's military leaders. Such a trip would be a
good chance to show the world an Asian approach that is accompanied by
action. 

(Tatou Takahama is a senior fellow with the Yomiuri Research Institute.) 


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