Mar 15, 2021
Myanmar’s first satellite is being held on board the International Space Station following the Myanmar coup, while Japan’s space agency and a Japanese university decide what to do with it, two Japanese university officials said.
The ¥1.7 billion satellite was built by Japan’s Hokkaido University in a joint project with Myanmar’s government-funded Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University (MAEU). It is the first of a set of two 50-kilogram microsatellites equipped with cameras designed to monitor agriculture and fisheries.
Human rights activists and some officials in Japan worry that those cameras could be used for military purposes by the junta that seized power in Myanmar on Feb. 1.
Japan on Monday condemned the use of deadly force by Myanmar security forces against protesters of last month's military coup. At least 18 protesters were
Feb 2, 2021
Suzuki Motor Corp. said Tuesday it has halted production at its two auto plants in Myanmar to ensure the safety of its employees following a military coup the previous day, as other Japanese companies from retail giant Aeon Co. to auto-parts maker Denso Corp. were scrambling to assess the situation.
Suzuki said it stopped output on Monday afternoon at its factories in Yangon where 400 employees work.
Suzuki has a 60% share of new car sales in Myanmar, having sold 13,200 units in 2019. The company said it has yet to decide on when to resume production.
The Myanmar military on Monday seized power from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her party in early morning raids.