Statement from Japan’s Special Envoy for National Reconciliation in Myanmar Yohei Sasakawa

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, made an announcement on December 21, 2018, in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw, to the effect that Myanmar’s armed forces would unilaterally halt offensive action against certain ethnic armed groups. In response, Yohei Sasakawa, Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for National Reconciliation in Myanmar (and Chairman of The Nippon Foundation), issued the following statement.

“Cease-fire agreements have already been reached with 10 ethnic armed groups, and I am confident that today’s announcement by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of a cease-fire declaration represents significant progress and a major step forward toward overall peace.
“I welcome this announcement by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, which is consistent with my efforts as Japan’s special envoy and for which I have traveled to Myanmar 90 times over the past six years, as a major first step toward the unified federal government that all citizens of Myanmar desire. With the support of the Japanese government, we hope to deliver food and other humanitarian assistance to refugees inside and outside Myanmar as quickly as possible.

Contact

Communications Department
The Nippon Foundation

  • E-mail:cc@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp