Defense Ministry Criticized For Accepting Myanmar Officers As Students
A non-partisan group of Japanese lawmakers is criticizing the Defense Ministry for accepting senior officers of the Myanmar military as foreign students.
The lawmakers asked the ministry in May to cancel the plan. But ministry officials told the lawmakers at a meeting on Wednesday that they had accepted four Myanmar officers this fiscal year.
The lawmakers noted that Myanmar's junta had already announced before then that it would carry out executions. Some renewed their calls for Japan to stop accepting Myanmar officers.
Defense Ministry officials reportedly responded that they are seriously concerned about the executions.
They promised that the ministry and the Japan Self-Defense Forces will deal appropriately with the acceptance of Myanmar military personnel.
The lawmakers also referred to the Japanese government's sharing of information with the Myanmar junta on the state funeral of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. They said Myanmar's military should not be allowed to take part.
Foreign Ministry officials reportedly said that the list of attendees was still being worked on.