Japan govt not planning to repatriate nationals from Myanmar, says stay indoors

There are an estimated 3,500 Japanese in Myanmar, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, Tokyo had been advising citizens to put off travel there, said the Foreign Ministry official, who asked to remain unidentified, adding there are no current plans to change that advisory. Chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato said the government was closely watching the situation and would do everything possible to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens.

Japan has no plans to repatriate its nationals from Myanmar, a foreign ministry official said on Monday, after Myanmar's military seized power from a democratically elected civilian government and arrested its leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar's army declared a state of emergency on Monday and said it had detained senior government leaders, accusing Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) of winning a landslide victory in the Nov.8 vote through "election fraud". There are an estimated 3,500 Japanese in Myanmar, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, Tokyo had been advising citizens to put off travel there, said the Foreign Ministry official, who asked to remain unidentified, adding there are no current plans to change that advisory.

Chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato said the government was closely watching the situation and would do everything possible to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens. "At this point there are no reports of any clashes, but we'll update information and take measures as needed," he told a news conference.

"Japan believes it is important for the parties to solve problems peacefully through dialogue in accordance with the democratic process," he added. Japan and Myanmar have long had close ties, with Tokyo a major aid donor over the years and scores of firms engaged in business activities there.

The Japanese embassy in Myanmar, in a message posted on the Foreign Ministry's website, said while the situation in the country at this point did not appear to be one that would involve ordinary people, people should exercise caution. "We encourage people to stay inside and refrain from going out unless absolutely essential," it added.