Asian AngleAsean’s Myanmar peace push needs Japan’s ‘silent diplomacy’
Tokyo knows how to back an Asean-led process without taking ownership of it, as decades of regional mediation show
Now, Tokyo is seeking to upgrade its diplomatic toolkit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ International Peace Mediation Unit was set up in March, followed by the launch of the Parliamentary Association for Peace Mediation in May.
Around the same time, the Tokyo-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation separately opened a Centre for Mediation Support, providing another channel for Japanese actors to engage in peacemaking efforts.
