Human chain to demand the release of Japanese journalist Teru Kubota

A human chain has been organized to demand the release of Japanese journalist and filmmaker Taru Kubota imprisoned in Myanmar. The Human Chain was held on Saturday (October 8th) in Shahbagh, in the capital, at the initiative of the Bangladesh Documentary Filmmakers Association.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Documentary Filmmakers Association, Masud Karim, said: “Today, the right to freedom of thought is under threat all over the world. We strongly protest against the farcical trial and prison sentence of this young freethinking journalist and filmmaker, Taru Kubota. I also demand his immediate release.

At that time, the poet and journalist adviser of the organization Nasir Ahmed, the secretary general of the filmmaker Sehangal Biplab took the floor to demand the release of Taru Kubota.

The Myanmar army overthrew the democratic government. Since then, there has been violence. To control the situation, the junta government arrested thousands of citizens, including politicians, bureaucrats, students, journalists and foreigners. As part of this, Taru Kubota, a young independent media activist, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating the so-called Sedition and Communications Act. Last Thursday (October 6), an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan confirmed this information to the media.

Taru Kubota, just 26, was arrested last July during a protest rally in Yangon, Myanmar. At the time, he was accused of breaking immigration laws and encouraging dissent against the ruling military.