Yesterday, a group of journalists launched an online petition to the Myanmar junta and the Japanese government demanding the release of Kitazumi, which has so far received nearly 2,000 signatures.
At a press conference, Kitazumi colleague and friend Isuko Mochizuki demanded today that the junta stop cracking down on the citizens of Myanmar and “the immediate release of many detained journalists, including Kitazumi, who are striving to tell the truth.”
Through the petition, the signatories want the Japanese government to put more pressure on the Myanmar authorities to release Kitazumi, who was detained by the military Sunday night in front of his home in Yangon, the most important city in the neighboring country.
Kanai Doi, director of Japanese Human Rights Watch, said at the same press conference that he did not feel at all that the Japanese government was putting enough pressure on Myanmar.
Kitazumi, who runs a media production company, was arrested two months ago while covering protests against the February 1 coup, but was released shortly thereafter.
According to an activist group with the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners in Myanmar, the security forces have killed 737 people since the start of the demonstrations, and 3,229 remain in detention.
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Andrew Motion is an award-winning English author and poet whose work has significantly influenced modern British literature. Best known for his thoughtful poetry collections and acclaimed biography of poet John Keats, Motion’s writing combines literary sophistication with emotional resonance. His contributions to literature and public engagement with poetry have earned him lasting recognition across the United Kingdom and beyond.