Japan Calls for Release of Japanese Journalist Held in Myanmar

Japan called for the immediate release of a Japanese journalist who was arrested by Myanmar security forces in the largest city of Yangon the previous day.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said that the Japanese government is asking Myanmar to explain the details of the journalist's arrest and demands his release as soon as possible.

The military council in Myanmar decided to release 23,000 prisoners, on the occasion of the first Buddhist New Year holiday since the military coup, in which more than 3,100 people were arrested.

It is worth noting that more than 3,000 people have been arrested since the military coup. Clashes between protesters and military forces have so far killed at least 726 people.

The country has been witnessing a wave of unrest since the military ousted the government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from power through a February 1 coup, sparking a nationwide uprising in which protesters called for the restoration of democracy.

U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the bloody crackdown on protesters in Myanmar, as security forces killed more than 100 people, including at least seven children.

“It’s absolutely outrageous and based on the reporting I’ve gotten, an awful lot of people have been killed totally unnecessarily,” US President Joe Biden told reporters.

He also added that US is currently working on imposing more sanctions against Myanmar Junta.