Myanmar apologises for journalist's death
Sunday, 30 September 2007
TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters): Japan strongly protested to Myanmar over the killing of a Japanese video journalist during an anti-government rally, and Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win offered apologies, Kyodo news agency said Saturday.
Fifty-year-old Kenji Nagai was fatally wounded in Yangon Thursday, and pictures smuggled out of the country showed him clutching a camera as he lay dying.
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura made the protest when he met his Myanmar counterpart at UN headquarters in New York Friday.
The death of Nagai "was extremely regrettable and we will lodge a stern protest," Japanese officials quoted Komura as telling Nyan Win, Kyodo said.
Nyan Win told Komura he was indeed sorry for the death, telling Japanese officials: "Demonstrations are beginning to calm down, and we would also like to exercise restraint," Kyodo said.
Japanese Foreign Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.
Fifty-year-old Kenji Nagai was fatally wounded in Yangon Thursday, and pictures smuggled out of the country showed him clutching a camera as he lay dying.
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura made the protest when he met his Myanmar counterpart at UN headquarters in New York Friday.
The death of Nagai "was extremely regrettable and we will lodge a stern protest," Japanese officials quoted Komura as telling Nyan Win, Kyodo said.
Nyan Win told Komura he was indeed sorry for the death, telling Japanese officials: "Demonstrations are beginning to calm down, and we would also like to exercise restraint," Kyodo said.
Japanese Foreign Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.