Pro-democracy activists in Japan told DVB that they were “concerned” over a recent meeting between regime leader Min Aung Hlaing and Japan’s Special Envoy for National Reconciliation in Myanmar, Yohei Sasakawa, in Naypyidaw on Tuesday.
Aung Soe Moe, a diplomat in Japan who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) following the 2021 military coup, told DVB that Min Aung Hlaing would use the visit as another step in portraying international legitimacy for his regime.
He wants the Japanese government to publicly declare what mandate Sasakawa has to engage with the regime in Naypyidaw.
Besides being Japan’s Special Envoy for Myanmar, Sasakawa is also the honorary chairperson of the Nippon Foundation—a Japanese non-profit.
Regime media reported on Oct. 20 that Sasakawa visited Min Aung Hlaing in his role as the Nippon Foundation’s honorary chairperson.
The report added that the two discussed democracy, stability and development, as well as the Nippon Foundation’s support for Myanmar’s peace process, without any further details.
Sasakawa’s visit to Naypyidaw follows a Reuters report last week about a meeting in Tokyo between regime officials and a delegation led by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Michael Vance.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters in an emailed statement it had been “communicating as necessary” with both sides but declined to comment on specific diplomatic exchanges.
The regime’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Tin Maung Swe met with Japan’s Charge d’Affaires ad interim Shogo Yoshitake in Naypyidaw on Oct. 1.
“They exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries,” the regime reported without providing further details.
It was the first publicly reported meeting between a Japanese diplomat and a senior regime official since a new pro-military administration took office in April—following the regime’s 2025-26 elections that ended on Jan. 25.
Japan has yet to formally recognize the new pro-military administration or Min Aung Hlaing as president after he was inaugurated on April 10.
Tokyo has also not appointed a successor to Ambassador Ichiro Maruyama, who left the post in September 2024. Japan has never imposed sanctions on the regime after the 2021 military coup as many of its western counterparts did.
Sasakawa was officially appointed Japan’s Special Envoy for National Reconciliation in Myanmar in February 2013, during then President Thein Sein’s pro-military administration (2011-16).
Sasakawa helped broker temporary ceasefires between the military and the ethnic Rakhine armed group, the Arakan Army (AA), in December 2020 and November 2022.
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