PRESS CONFERENCE
Free Toru Kubota
Yuki Kitazumi, Journalist
Teppei Kasai, Program Officer, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch
Myint Swe, President of the Federation of Workers’ Union of the Burmese Citizen in Japan
13:00-14:00, Wednesday, October 26, 2022
(The speech and Q & A will be in English or Japanese with English interpretation.)
Journalist Toru Kubota was detained on July 30th in Myanmar while filming a demonstration against the government in the capital, Yangon. This month a court in Myanmar sentenced him to three years in prison for "violating an immigration law", in addition to separate convictions and sentencing for sedition and other charges. If he serves out all his sentencing, Kubota will be in prison for a total of 10 years.
The Japanese government says it is working on the case. In the meantime, journalism and civil rights organizations across the world have called for his immediate, unconditional release. Kubota is one of thousands of journalists, students, foreigners and others detained by Myanmar's military government since it retook power last year after a limited experiment in democracy.
Three distinguished speakers have agreed to discuss the case – and what should be done to bring Kubota home – at the FCCJ. Yuki Kitazumi is a freelance journalist who was detained last year in Myanmar, interrogated for spreading 'fake news' but freed after a month. Kasai Teppei is a program officer for Human Rights Watch who works to encourage the Japanese government to "take a more human-rights based foreign policy" towards Myanmar and other Asian countries. Myint Swe is president of the Federation of Workers' Union of Burmese Citizens in Japan.
How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/7uBgJgTGFpjfb4Sv7
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee