Japan alone must leverage its decades-long special relationship with Myanmar to lead such a change. Today, Myanmar finds itself embroiled in a protracted low-intensity conflict.

Japan's foreign ministry says Ichiro Maruyama, Japan's ambassador to Myanmar, has been trying to persuade the military to release detained leaders, including Suu Kyi, and restore democratic rule.

Myanmar map: Ms Suu Kyi took control in 2011 after the military government dissolved (Image: ... Australia, Russia, Germany, China, India, Bangladesh, Norway, Japan and Switzerland.

In Myanmar, resistance fighters ... A local independent media outlet says resistance forces now control all the areas shown in red on the map below ... have lived in Japan for more than 30 years.

Japan will continue to provide humanitarian support through international agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Japanese ODA to Myanmar in fiscal 2019 totaled 189.3 billion yen ($1.8 billion ...