The Japanese newspaper ‘Sankei Shimbun ’asked Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to put the Myanmar issue at the top of the agenda during the G7 Summit which will be held in Hiroshima from 19 May.
The editorial of the nationalist and conservative newspaper on 15 May urged the G7 nations to impose effective sanctions against Myanmar military in order to encourage coup leaders to change their ways.
The newspaper highlighted the brutal airstrike of the Myanmar air force over Pazigyi Village in Kantbalu Township, Sagaing region, on 11 April 2023, a couple of days ahead of Myanmar’s traditional New Year festival. The incident killed around 170 people, including many children and elderly persons.
Despite internal and external outcries over the bombing, the junta tried to legitimize this attack by claiming ‘the attack targeted a terrorist base’.
Actually, the airstrike hit the opening ceremony of an office under a pro-democracy group. Moreover, the military used helicopters to strafe the area with machine gun fire, followed by more bombing that night.
Like the international community, ASEAN condemned the attacks immediately, and issued a declaration during its summit held in Indonesia on 10 May , calling for an end to violence in Myanmar.
The editorial also remarked that Russian and Chinese involvment has worsened the situation in Myanmar because these two countries are actively supporting the junta, militarily and politically.
The attack helicopters used in air raids were made in Russia, and the junta chief has also made three trips to Russia since the coup.
The Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang pledged during his visit to Myanmar on 2 May that his country will provide as much assistance to Myanmar as possible.
The Sankei Shimbun article concluded that civilian casualties in Myanmar do not seem to cause Russia, China, or the ruling junta the least bit of distress. The writer compared the atrocities of the Myanmar junta with Chinese Government crackdowns on the protest at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Chinese armed forces brutally attacked large numbers of students and civilians who demanded democracy. Another example from the newspaper is the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
These two countries abstained from voting to approve a draft resolution of the UN General Assembly to call for a halt to arms inflows into Myanmar.
The editorial also remarked that led by the G-7, the international community needs to impose collective sanctions against the Myanmar military and increase pressure on them.
EarthRights International and Global Witness reported early this year that the United States, the United Kingdom, and EU sanctions policy has been undermined by poor coordination and a lack of high-impact targets.
Keel Dietz, the Myanmar Policy Consultant for Global Witness, said, “Coordination failures create gaps in sanctions programs that allow the Myanmar military to evade international pressure.”
Currently, the military is still committing crimes against humanity, blocking humanitarian aid from reaching millions of displaced people and vulnerable persons who have no access to aid, food and water, causing preventable diseases and severe malnutrition.
