Japan’s refusal to sanction Myanmar undermines Biden’s strategy

Demonstrators protest against the military coup in Myanmar during a rally in front of the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on May 21, 2021. - AFP

TOKYO (Bloomberg): When hundreds of protesters gathered outside Japan’s embassy in Yangon during the height of nationwide anti-coup protests in February, Ambassador Ichiro Maruyama emerged from the gates with a firm warning for the junta: Release the detained civilian leadership "immediately.”

The remarks, delivered in Burmese, drew applause from pro-democracy demonstrators hoping Japan would take concrete action to pressure Myanmar’s military, also known as the Tatmadaw. But since then Japan has resisted calls to impose sanctions or suspend ongoing infrastructure projects, saying only it would avoid carrying out any new non-humanitarian deals with the junta.