PRESS CONFERENCE

Freed from a Myanmar Prison
Toru Kubota, Documentary maker

 14:00-15:00 Monday, November 28, 2022
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.


Toru Kubota (26) is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared on the BBC, Al-Jazeera and other outlets. He was arrested on July 30th in Myanmar while filming a small demonstration against the government in the capital, Yangon. In October, a court sentenced him to three years in prison on charges of violating Myanmar's immigration law. That is in addition to separate convictions and sentencing for sedition and other charges. Kubota faced a total of 10 years in prison but in November he was released and deported back to Japan.

Kubota leaves behind a country that has imprisoned many more journalists, activists, students and scholars. Myanmar is now the world's second-worst jailer of journalists, after China, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The CPJ warned after Kubota's arrest that "Myanmar's military junta is sending a deliberate and threatening message to all foreign journalists that they too could be imprisoned under arbitrary laws if they report on its crimes and abuses."

Kubota has agreed to come to the FCCJ to discuss his experience, his return to freedom – and his lessons to all those following Myanmar's troubled return to military rule and repression.

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/ChUHQiLCEQcdGcdG7
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