Burma: 'find truth' over journalist's death

Last Modified: 28 Sep 2007
By: Channel 4 News

Japan demands that the Burmese government investigate the shooting of journalist Kenji Nagai yesterday.

Video journalist Kenji Nagai, 50, was killed whilst filming government troops cracking down on democracy demonstrations in the Burmese capital of Yangon.

Photos of the shooting were smuggled out of the country, in the photos Nagai appears to be attempting to film with a small camera even after being shot.

Kenji Nagai tries to take photographs as he lies injured after police and military officials fired upon and then charged at protesters in Yangon's city centre September 27, 2007. (Reuters)

Doctors from the Japanese embassy who examined his body said that the bullet that killed him had passed from the right side of his chest through the heart and back.

Suspending humanitarian aid?

The Japanese government is considering suspending its humanitarian aid to Burma, and will make a decision once it has all the facts behind Nagai's death, as it is not clear yet whether Nagai was deliberately targeted or not.

"We will urge the Myanmar government to find out the truth about his death," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told a news conference.

Japanese video journalist Kenji Nagai, is seen in this handout photo taken in April, 2003 in Amman, Jordan.

"At this stage we have not decided to suspend grant aid," Machimura said, adding Tokyo would watch responses by the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) before deciding on sanctions. Currently Japan provides about £13m in aid annually for emergency health projects and training.

Japan is also reported to be asking the Chinese government to use their influence to reign back Burma's military junta.

"I asked that China, given its close ties with Myanmar, exercise its influence and Premier Wen said he will make such efforts," he told reporters.