Japan to push for explanation after death of journalist
Japan will press Burma for a full account of the death of a Japanese journalist during a violent crackdown on anti-government protests, officials said today.
Kenji Nagai and eight others were killed yesterday as soldiers fired automatic weapons into a crowd of anti-government demonstrators.
Nagai, 50, a video-journalist, was working for the Japanese news agency APF News.
Officials have said Nagai was believed to have been shot in the chest.
There were conflicting reports that he was struck by stray bullets fired at by Burmese soldiers or shot from the front.
“We offer our prayers and condolences for him,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said. “I think what’s most important at the moment is to demand a full accounting of what happened.” Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Nagai’s death was “extremely unfortunate”.
“We hope the Myanmar government will give us a full explanation,” Fukuda said.
He said, however, that Japan needs to take the whole situation into account before considering the possibility of sanctions.
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