Japanese video journalist detained at Myanmar protest march

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Pro-democracy activists say Myanmar’s military authorities have arrested a Japanese video journalist who was filming an anti-government protest in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city. They identified the man arrested Saturday as documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota. A Japanese Embassy official confirmed its national has been detained. A leader of the group that organized the march said Kubota was arrested by plainclothes police after a one-minute flash protest that he had been filming. Myanmar’s army seized power in February last year by ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, and has since cracked down hard on dissent. The military government has arrested about 140 journalists, about 55 of whom remain detained awaiting charges or trial.