Japan weighs Myanmar aid restart to counter China’s growing clout

Japan is facing mounting calls to decide whether its long-frozen development aid to Myanmar should stay that way, as rights advocates warn that any resumption could ease pressure on a regime accused of widespread abuses.

The decision is a delicate one for Tokyo, which has tried to retain influence in Myanmar without appearing to legitimise the junta that seized power in 2021 – all while watching China deepen its own engagement with the country.

Human Rights Watch has urged Japan to resist Myanmar’s calls to lift its ban on new development assistance, after the military-controlled parliament claimed “ordinary citizens” were suffering as a result of the suspension.

At a press conference in Naypyidaw on June 30, parliamentary spokeswoman Khaing Khaing Soe thanked Japan for its past support but called for more, warning that “ordinary citizens will suffer” if Tokyo kept new aid on hold.

“We have benefited enormously from infrastructure development, such as bridges and roads,” she said. “Even if new projects are not feasible immediately, resuming projects that have already been agreed upon would be a great help to the people.”

Tokyo halted new official development assistance for long-term government projects after the February 2021 coup, though it has continued to provide urgent humanitarian aid through international organisations and NGOs.