Japanese journalist to be deported from Myanmar
- 4 years ago
YANGON: A Japanese journalist arrested while covering the aftermath of the Myanmar coup is to be deported, Tokyo said on Friday (May 14), after charges against him were dropped as a diplomatic gesture.
Yuki Kitazumi, held in Yangon's Insein prison since his arrest last month, was one of at least 80 reporters detained during the junta's crackdown on anti-coup dissent.
Security forces have killed more than 780 people since protests erupted following the Feb 1 coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to a local monitoring group.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi confirmed that the journalist was being sent back to Japan as soon as Friday.
Motegi said Japan had used "various channels" to press for his release and it had been "tough work".
"As a result of those efforts, yesterday the Myanmar authorities announced that they would withdraw the indictment," he told reporters in Tokyo.
"Currently, the Japanese embassy in Myanmar is assisting so that the individual can return to Japan - bringing the person's articles from the person's apartment."
Myanmar state broadcaster MRTV announced Thursday that the charges against Kitazumi were being dropped "in order to reconcile with Japan and improve our relationship".
State media said an earlier investigation found that Kitazumi "supported the protests".
He was charged under a newly revised section of the penal code which criminalises spreading fake news, criticising the coup or encouraging disobedience among soldiers and civil servants.
Kitazumi, who had previously been arrested in February but released soon afterwards, was the first foreign journalist to be charged since the coup.
A Polish photographer arrested while covering a protest in March was freed and deported after nearly two weeks in custody.
Source: CNA
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