In the afternoon of November 4, DP President Renho met with State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi, currently on a visit to Japan, at a Tokyo hotel. The meeting was also attended by Secretary General Yoshihiko Noda, and former member of the House of Representatives Koriki Jojima, who in 2012, when serving respectively as Japanese Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, hosted an international meeting in Tokyo to discuss ways of providing assistance to Myanmar, and decided to erase 50 billion yen’s worth of debt owed to Japan by Myanmar.
At the start of the meeting, Renho stated, “I have always been impressed by the straightforward way in which you went on fighting for democracy while facing a variety of circumstances. We will continue to make every effort to properly support Myanmar’s movement toward peace and democracy with our nation’s official development assistance (ODA).” She went on to express her encouragement for the future of Myanmar, which is now undergoing economic development, saying, “Your country has many young people. The real way to provide support for them is for the nation to create a situation where those with potential are able to spread their wings and fly. Therefore, we truly support it.”
Aung San Suu Kyi commented on her country’s move towards democracy, explaining, “We have been working determinedly towards making Myanmar a democratic nation like Japan.” She went on to comment on the future of the bilateral relationship, saying, “Japan and Myanmar have traditionally had a good relationship, and we must ensure that this continues. I would like to deepen our relations from encouraging democratization to the economy and considering how our society should develop.”
Noda stated, “I am extremely hopeful for the direction of democratization in Myanmar under the guidance of the State Counsellor. Myanmar shares with Japan the basic values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. I would like us to strengthen our partnership from now on. This is something that both the ruling and opposition parties wish to happen.”
Former Minister of Finance Jojima commented on the future of Myanmar, expressing his hopes for the direction of the country, which is currently an agricultural nation, saying, “You will be able to further strengthen the agricultural industry and by increasing the income of farmers develop other industries. It will be possible for you to engage in ideal nation-building.”
Following the meeting Renho responded to reporters’ questions. Asked what she could learn from Aung San Suu Kyi as a female leader, she stated, “She is a leader who has had to endure long periods where her freedom has been restricted. To be able to stand in the position where she is now, and take responsibility for developing democracy in her country, is something I believe could not be achieved without an unquenchable spirit.”
When questioned as to whether she had given any kind of message to Aung San Suu Kyi, Renho recounted a personal anecdote, saying, “I’ve read her book. Her determination to call for democracy while refusing to give in to the difficult conditions she found herself in made me, at that time a university student living through Japan’s bubble era, think that I should not be so easy on myself.”