By Antoni Slodkowski

TOKYO, Reuters – Japan distanced itself Tuesday from a Myanmar visit by its special envoy. During which time, military-run media reports in Myanmar claim that he was involved in Danny Fenster’s release from prison.

Fenster, 37, the managing editor of magazine Frontier Myanmar, was freed https://www.reuters.com/world/american-journalist-fenster-out-prison-myanmar-employer-says-2021-11-15 on Monday three days after being sentenced to 11 years for incitement and violations of laws on immigration and unlawful assembly.

Since May, he had been held. This prompted an international campaign to free him. It highlighted the dire situation of the media in this Southeast Asian country that is currently roiled with internal conflict since February’s military coup.

Myanmar’s Military-Owned Myawaddy TV announced Monday that Fenster was granted amnesty after Bill Richardson (ex-state governor of the United States and diplomat with strong Myanmar connections) requested it. Richardson has previously been linked to the effort for Myanmar’s release.

But in a surprise, it also credited for the release Yohei Sasakawa, the chairman of the Nippon Foundation who doubles as Japan’s special envoy on Myanmar for national reconciliation, as well as former Japanese minister Hideo Watanabe http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/12/09/JapanMyanmar.pdf.

Watanabe, Sasakawa, and Min Aung Hlaing have had close relationships with the Myanmar military for many years. Sasakawa met Min Aung Hlaing the coup leader over the weekend. His Nippon Foundation, however, declined to comment, due to political sensitivity.

Myawaddy TV reported that Fenster was released to comply with Watanabe’s and Richardson’s requests to “maintain friendship between countries and to stress humanitarian grounds”.

When Yoshimasa Hayashi was asked about reports that Sasakawa had been involved in the release of Sasakawa, Hayashi replied that the Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa was visiting Myanmar as a personal matter.

Hayashi stated that Sasakawa was present at Min Aung Hlaing’s meeting, but that it was only his knowledge and not his government. His ministry did not participate in the arrangement.

Hayashi said that while the government is still in contact with Mr Sasakawa as a tradition, he would prefer to keep these details private.

While he did not mention Fenster’s release, he said Japan would continue to work towards improving the Myanmar situation and will coordinate with international agencies.

Watanabe’s Japan–Myanmar Association refused to comment. Watanabe was instrumental in creating an economic zone near Yangon (Myanmar’s capital) that has helped Japanese investors.

‘IMPROVING RELATIONS’

Sasakawa’s talks came amid a breakdown https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/myanmar-says-no-suu-kyi-visit-envoy-would-be-unlawful-2021-11-03 in a Southeast Asian peace process that Myanmar’s neighbours say the junta has failed to follow, which led to the unprecedented decision to exclude Min Aung Hlaing from a regional summit last month.

Central to the decision was the military’s refusal https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/myanmar-says-no-suu-kyi-visit-envoy-would-be-unlawful-2021-11-03 to grant a special Southeast Asian envoy access to the detained leader of Myanmar’s ousted government, Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Uncertain if Sasakawa asked for Suu Kyi’s permission to speak with him or made other arrangements before he met the leader of an isolated junta. Myanmar’s most important state newspaper, the Myanmar Times, reported on the meeting in its frontpage. The paper used Sasakawa’s title as Japan’s envoy.

Sasakawa met with Myanmar’s Health Minister during his visit, according to state media. They discussed “conditions for Japan donating COVID-19 to Myanmar” and other issues to help improve relations between Japan-Myanmar.

Sasakawa also traveled to Rakhine, northwestern Rakhine, where he was reportedly rife with ethnic tensions. According to media reports, Sasakawa said that he had promised the junta officials $8.5 million to help internally displaced people.

Reports also claimed that Sasakawa had promised to donate $3 million of COVID-19 vaccines to Myanmar. The government or the foundation of Japan would provide the vaccines. It wasn’t clear.

Hayashi didn’t address directly the issue of vaccine donation.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reports that 10,143 people were arrested in Myanmar since the coup and 1,260 have been killed by violence. Most of these deaths occurred in response to a crackdown on protests.