A goalkeeper from the Myanmar national team who raised an anti-coup salute during a match outside Tokyo has refused to fly home and is to seek asylum in Japan, his lawyer told reporters yesterday.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a coup in February ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, sparking huge protests and clashes between the military and ethnic rebel armies in border regions.
Last month, reserve goalkeeper Pyae Lyan Aung raised the three-finger salute as the Burmese national anthem played before a World Cup qualifier against Japan.
Photo: AP
On Wednesday, he told a Japanese immigration officer at Kansai International Airport in Osaka that he would not board a plane back to Myanmar, his lawyer, Shogo Watanabe, told reporters, confirming earlier local reports.
“After confirming his wishes, we will proceed with procedures to seek refugee status either in Osaka or in Tokyo,” Watanabe said.
“It’s obvious [that he is a political refugee] after he made the three-finger salute... I hope his refugee status will be recognized as soon as possible,” Watanabe said, adding that the process could take months.
Japan Broadcasting Corp showed footage of Pyae Lyan Aung speaking through a translator in Osaka on Wednesday.
“If I return to Myanmar, my life would be in danger. I decided to stay in Japan,” he said. “The Japanese government and people must know Myanmar’s situation. I call for your cooperation.”
The three-finger salute has frequently been used as a show of resistance by protesters during demonstrations that have been brutally repressed, with more than 800 people killed and thousands wounded, rights groups have said.
Pyae Lyan Aung, whose teammates are believed to have returned home on Wednesday, said he would not go back until Aung San Suu Kyi returns to power.
He said that he had worries about the consequences of his decision, adding: “If any danger happens to my teammates or family members, I would return to Myanmar to be arrested.”
The Immigration Services Agency of Japan could not immediately be reached for comment.
Japan accepts just a handful of asylum applications each year, but in May the Japanese Ministry of Justice said that residents of Myanmar already in the country would be able to extend their stays as an emergency measure, given the coup and resulting violence.
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
Yassine Bounou on Wednesday saved two penalties, while Youssef en-Nesyri netted the decisive spot-kick as hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in a tense Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Rabat. Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, are to face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place playoff tomorrow. The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created more opportunities, although they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria
RSS