Japanese filmmaker describes Myanmar detention as ‘hell’; asks Tokyo for ‘stronger stance’ toward junta

A recently freed Japanese filmmaker, Toru Kubota, after spending four months in a Myanmar jail described his experience as “hell”. During a press conference, on Monday, he also said that he hoped that the Japanese government would take a “much stronger stance” towards the military government in Myanmar.

The 26-year-old was detained in the city of Yangon, earlier this year, during a protest against the junta, whohavebeen in power following a coup and overthrowing the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. While the Japanese filmmaker was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating the sedition and communication laws, he was released following a mass amnesty.

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Addressing the reporters in Tokyo, he said “I understood the concept of hell” referring to his time in detention. Kubota said that he could barely sleep in a tiny overcrowded cell and called the overall conditions filthy and unsanitary. He also witnessed many prisoners being beaten with a baton. He was later transferred to a colonial-era Insein jail and was held in solitary confinement.

“I would hope the Japanese government would take a much stronger stance towards the Myanmar military,” said Kubota. He added that Japan has an impactful economic relationship with Myanmar and called for greater scrutiny of where that money is going and if it is being used to harm the country’s people.

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Notably, while Japan has stopped aid to Myanmar, it has not imposed any sanctions against them unlike countries like the United States, European Union and others. Since their takeover last year, the junta have arrested thousands of people including students, journalists, politicians, and so on, in a bid to quash dissent against their military government.

(With inputs from agencies)

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