A bridge constructed with Japanese financial assistance has been completed in Myanmar. The project has drawn criticism because it continued after the military seized power in a coup in 2021.
A ceremony to mark the bridge’s completion near the country’s largest city Yangon was held on Saturday.
Attendees included Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Japanese construction officials.
The four-kilometer-long bridge was financed with yen loans under Japan’s Official Development Assistance scheme.
The senior general said the construction and loans stalled due to the political situation in 2021, but the project continued after the two sides held negotiations.
Japan has suspended new projects in Myanmar since the coup, but went ahead with the bridge project because the two countries had agreed on the loans in 2017.
Prodemocracy and human rights groups allege that Japan is indirectly involved in human rights abuses, arguing that the financial aid is funneled to the military.