JAPANESE RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON DAW AUNG SAN SUU

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001143 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2019 TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC BM JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI REF: A. STATE 50384 ¶B. TOKYO 1131 ¶C. TOKYO 1103 Classified By: Pol M/C W. Michael Meserve per (1.4b, d). ¶1. (C) Embassy Tokyo delivered the Ref A demarche to MOFA Deputy Directors Ken Ota, First Southeast Asia Division, and Kazumi Yamada, United Nations Policy Division. Mr. Ota stated that Japan is in agreement on the need to drop the charges on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and release her from detention. He pointed to the phone call -the first of its kind for the Japanese- that Minister for Foreign Affairs Hirofumi Nakasone had made to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar, U Nyan Win, and subsequent press statements as evidence of the active and public role Japan has assumed on this issue (Ref B). Mr. Ota stated, "The Director General has also expressed our concern to the Ambassador of Myanmar to Japan" (Ref C). In reference to the U.S. request for support for Security Council action Mr. Yamada stated, "Your mission in New York has circulated a Presidential Statement. We have instructed our mission in New York to continue working closely with you on this issue." ZUMWALT