Myanmar postpones hearing of detained Japanese filmmaker
The next court hearing of a Japanese man in Myanmar was postponed to Sept. 6 in the trial over his alleged involvement in an anti-coup protest amid Japan’s calls for his early release, a source close to the matter said Tuesday.
The hearing for documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota was initially scheduled for Tuesday. He has been charged with sedition and violating immigration law.
Myanmar’s ruling military junta is also considering charging him with violating the electronic transactions law.
He was detained in Yangon on July 30 while filming a protest against the military. The Japanese government has called on the junta to release Kubota as soon as possible, but the military said earlier that the relevant court will make the decision.
Kubota entered Myanmar last month from neighboring Thailand on a tourist visa and contacted protesters regarding where they would gather for a demonstration.
Myanmar has been under military rule since a coup in February 2021 that toppled the democratically elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.