Members of the Myanmar community in Japan submitted a formal letter of inquiry to the Japanese Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday protesting recent high-level visits to Naypyidaw by two Japanese lawmakers.
Addressed to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on behalf of the diaspora, the petition requests that Tokyo clarify the nature, scope, and diplomatic alignment of the engagements, which diaspora leaders warned could grant unmerited legitimacy to the regime in Naypyidaw.
The petition targets visits conducted by two prominent Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) politicians, including lower-house lawmaker Hiromichi Watanabe, a former Reconstruction Minister who visited on Sept. 22, and LDP lawmaker Shunsuke Takei, a former State Minister for Foreign Affairs who visited on Sept. 14.
During their trips, both lawmakers met with Khin Yi, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) chairperson and speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house of parliament, with Watanabe reportedly extending an invitation for Khin Yi to visit Japan.
Myo Min Swe, speaking on behalf of the Myanmar Community in Japan, urged Japanese authorities to clarify how these activities relate to Japan’s broader diplomatic policy toward Myanmar.
The diplomatic protest comes amid an administrative crisis for Myanmar nationals residing in Japan following an Aug. 12 directive from the Myanmar Embassy in Tokyo, which required individuals whose passports have been expired for over five years to return to Myanmar for renewals.
The requirement left many workers and students unable to extend their legal status or register for “Tokutei Gino [Specified Skilled Worker]” qualification exams.
In response, the National Unity Government (NUG) Representative Office in Japan announced on Sept. 17 that affected individuals can now register for the skilled worker exams using expired passports after explaining their circumstances to Japanese testing authorities.
The administrative relief provided by the NUG offers significant support to pro-democracy supporters facing passport barriers in Japan.
The development follows a series of diaspora actions, including an Aug. 25 petition calling for flexible residency protections, a Sept. 13 solidarity rally in Tokyo backing U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun ahead of the credentials vote at the 81st UN General Assembly, and ongoing advocacy to protect draft-eligible youth and activists from forced return.
