TOKYO: Several dozen activists from Myanmar protested outside the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on Tuesday after the Asahi newspaper reported that former Japanese Prime Minister ASO Taro had received an honorary medal from the Burmese authorities in February.

The same medal was also awarded to another politician, WATANABE Hideo, for help with development assistance (ODA) in specific areas that Japan provided to the junta.

The demonstrators demanded an apology from the Liberal Democratic Party via a letter that was given to an employee at LDP headquarters in central Tokyo.

The Japanese Embassy in Myanmar did not wish to comment on the medal awards, arguing that the honors were given to individual persons and did not reflect the position of the Japanese government.

The protesters outside LDP headquarters demanded that Japan doesn’t collaborate with the authorities in Myanmar.

On March 27, a military parade took place in the Burmese capital Rangoon celebrating the February 21 coup. Russian and Chinese dignitaries were present.