Clarification on Media Reports About the Nippon Foundation’s Humanitarian Aid to Myanmar

Recently, there have been media reports stating that,

A. the Nippon Foundation has provided US$300 million in humanitarian aid to regions controlled by the armed forces of ethnic groups; and that,

B. the Nippon Foundation has claimed that the Government of Myanmar is preventing it from providing aid to displaced ethnic Kachin.

Here we would like to clarify and correct the information that has appeared in such reports.

Regarding the first point (A), the Nippon Foundation’s humanitarian aid activities, which are conducted on the basis of an agreement with the government of Myanmar, involve the foundation directly purchasing and delivering US$3 million worth of rice and medicine to internally displaced persons living in regions controlled by the armed forces of ethnic groups. These activities have been carried out continually since they were first started in December 2012.

Regarding the second point (B), the Nippon Foundation’s humanitarian aid activities in Myanmar are based on the mutual trust and agreement between the Nippon Foundation, Government of Myanmar, and the Myanmar Peace Center. The Nippon Foundation has also been in close communication with the Government of Myanmar and Myanmar Peace Center regarding the timely implementation of humanitarian aid activities for internally displaced persons in Kachin.

Please note that the Nippon Foundation’s humanitarian aid outlined above is separate from the support provided by the Japanese government. For its FY2012 budget (April 2012–March 2013), the Japanese government pledged to provide Myanmar with grant aid of ¥26 billion and ¥50 billion in low-interest loans, but these grants and loans have not yet been issued.