Author: Yuri Kageyama
Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) — Friends of Japanese journalist Toru Kubota, a Japanese journalist detained in military-ruled Myanmar while covering protests, have gathered more than 41,000 online petitions for his immediate release. signature.
The documentary filmmaker was arrested by plainclothes security forces in Yangon on July 30 while he was taking photos of a dozen protesters, according to his supporters and a witness who spoke to The Associated Press.
The Japanese government, which has condemned human rights abuses in Myanmar, has confirmed that a Japanese man in his 20s has been detained. It said it was working on his release.
A report by Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing a junta spokesman, confirmed that Kubota had been detained and was being investigated, but said his release was still uncertain.
Myanmar’s military seized power last February by overthrowing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and cracked down on dissidents, killing and arresting thousands. Most of the more than 50 journalists detained in Myanmar face charges of creating fear, spreading false news or inciting government employees, which carry up to three years in prison.
Kubota’s films focus on giving voice to the oppressed, such as Rohingya refugees and the plight of Tokyo’s poor amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 26-year-old Kubota graduated from the prestigious Keio University with a master’s degree from the University of the Arts London, and also worked for Yahoo!. News Japan, Vice Japan and Al Jazeera English.
“I want to be as free as possible, that’s why I make documentaries,” he said on his Twitter profile.
In his last tweet from Myanmar late last month, he said: “How insensitive and ignorant I was, didn’t really know the guy on the other side of my camera until the tears started to flow. The tears kept coming. “
His friends said he went alone and was making a documentary about that man. Other details were not disclosed due to security concerns.
Nikki Tsukamoto Kininmouth, who collaborated on the film with Kubota, said he tried to document people in everyday life.
“He’s really a good guy,” she told reporters at the Japan Press Club in Tokyo. “He was loved by a lot of people.”
Last week, PEN International and the PEN Japan Club called for the immediate and unconditional release of Kubota and others unjustly detained.
“We call for freedom of speech and the protection of journalists in Myanmar and abroad. We urge the Japanese government and the international community to take immediate action to ensure Mr. Kubota’s safety,” Natsuo Kirino, president of PEN Japan, said in a statement.
Kubota is the fifth foreign journalist to be detained in Myanmar after U.S. citizens Nathan Maung and Danny Fenster, who work for local publications, as well as Polish freelancers Robert Bociaga and Japan’s Yuki Kitazumi. They were eventually fired.
Kitatsumi, who called for Kubota’s release, said he feared for his safety because he felt the situation in Myanmar had deteriorated. A month later, Beijin was released.
“He knew the risks. But he decided to go,” Beijin said.
