PanOrient News | Myanmar official expresses frustration over Foreign Minister comments

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Myanmar official expresses frustration over Foreign Minister comments

Friday, January 30, 2026

PanOrient News

YANGON: A Myanmar official voiced frustration over Japan's claim that the recent elections might fuel division and hinder peaceful progress. He also questioned why Japan, once a close ally, now appears to align with Western and some Asian countries in shaping policies toward Myanmar.

“The people of Myanmar have not made sufficient efforts toward political progress or engaged in genuine talks with all parties, as Japan and the international community have called for many times,” Japan’s Foreign Minister Motegi stated at a press conference last week.

A Myanmar official in Yangon told PanOrient News that, although the country appreciates Japan's assistance following last year's earthquake, the rationale for Japan's rejection of the recent elections remains unclear, particularly given that international observers commended their transparency.

The official referenced historical events between the two countries that, in his view, established a “special” relationship.

“When the Japanese Imperial Army was defeated in Myanmar and Allied forces pursued the retreating troops, many sick and wounded soldiers were secretly sheltered in villages, disguised as family members. Furthermore, prisoners of war sent to work outside the camps in other Asian countries had sticks and stonesthrown at them. In Myanmar, local residents provided them with food and water.”

The official continued: “When the Japanese government dispatched teams after World War II to various countries to recover the remains of deceased soldiers, many countries refused or required Japan to pay for each part of the remains. In contrast, the Myanmar government consented without demanding payment, and villagers assisted in locating and excavating the remains.”

He observed that, despite the harsh treatment by many Japanese soldiers during their occupation, the people of Myanmar chose to forgive, a gesture remembered positively by older generations in Japan.

“We hope that younger generations in Japan will learn more about the special relationship between our two countries from their parents and grandparents,” he said.