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Japan inquiry into reporter death | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
Japan is sending its deputy foreign minister to Burma to investigate the death of a Japanese journalist, who was covering the anti-government protests. | |
Japan said it would review its aid programmes to Burma over the fatal shooting of Kenji Nagai on Thursday. | |
TV footage has emerged which raises the possibility that the 50-year-old may have been deliberately targeted rather than caught in police cross-fire. | |
Japan's PM, Yasuo Fukuda, said he would decide how to proceed after the visit. | |
"We will have to think carefully to figure out what is the best thing to do - what is the best choice for Japan." | |
By sending Mitoji Yabunaka to Burma, he said Japan would "find the way to solve this issue and to make further decisions. Sanctions are not the best step to take now." | |
Kenji Nagai had experience of working in dangerous placesHe has described Mr Nagai's death as "really deplorable". | |
Japan is a leading aid donor to Burma and has been criticised for failing to take a tougher line against the regime. | Japan is a leading aid donor to Burma and has been criticised for failing to take a tougher line against the regime. |
Tokyo has withheld some aid from Burma since pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained in 2003. | |
But it funds emergency and humanitarian projects on a case-by-case basis, and is one of the military regime's significant trading partners. | |
Investigation calls | Investigation calls |
Mr Nagai, an experienced journalist who had worked in many dangerous parts of the world, was killed near the Sule pagoda, which has been a focal point for several of the demonstrations. | Mr Nagai, an experienced journalist who had worked in many dangerous parts of the world, was killed near the Sule pagoda, which has been a focal point for several of the demonstrations. |
Monks and ordinary people have been protesting for days | Monks and ordinary people have been protesting for days |
Japanese TV has been running footage which appears to show a government soldier shooting the journalist at close range. | Japanese TV has been running footage which appears to show a government soldier shooting the journalist at close range. |
Mr Nagai, who was working for the Tokyo-based APF network, is seen falling to the ground still carrying his camera as a soldier points a rifle right in front of him. | Mr Nagai, who was working for the Tokyo-based APF network, is seen falling to the ground still carrying his camera as a soldier points a rifle right in front of him. |
Japanese embassy doctors have confirmed that he was killed by a bullet to the chest. | Japanese embassy doctors have confirmed that he was killed by a bullet to the chest. |
''Whether [the shooting] was intentional and whether it was from a point-blank range remains to be investigated," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said. | |
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