Modi to to attend the State Funeral of former Japanese PM Abe

New Delhi 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Japan on September 27 2022 to attend the State Funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

During his stay there, the Prime Minister will also separately meet his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida,

an MEA release said. 

Late Shinzo Abe served as the Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party 

(LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese 

history. .

Both Shinzo Abe and PM Modi had developed good personal rapport and both the leaders took

pioneering steps to boost bilateral relations between two countries.

Shinzo Abe had visited Ahmedabad in 2017 and along with the Prime Minister Modi launched the

beginning of much ambitious Bullet Train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

In 2007, he initiated the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue during his first tenure as prime minister, aimed at resisting 

China's rise as a superpower.

 

On 8th July 2022, Abe was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in Nara two days before the 

10th July upper house elections. The suspect, who was arrested at the scene, confessed to targeting the 

former prime minister because of Abe's ties with the Unification Church. 

Abe's assassination was the first assassination of a former Japanese prime minister since 1936.

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 32 trapped Indians rescued: Fraud IT Cos. luring youths into 'Myanmar illegally' 

The Indian government has cautioned utmost caution about certain IT sector jobs being offered in Thailand as many people have been taken illegally to the interior of Myanmar.

"We would like to urge Indian nationals to exercise restraint, extreme caution I would say, before taking up such job offers. It may also be mentioned here that the visa on arrival scheme in Thailand, which allows you to get entry into Thailand does not permit employment," MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi has said.

He further said, "....So if somebody's offering you such an opportunity that is illegal."

Bagchin explained while answering questions during the weekly briefing on Thursday that such companies are "operating through agents in Dubai, Bangkok and India". 

"They are recruiting Indian workers on the pretext of employment opportunities in Thailand, usually as what we are hearing is in the IT sector there. The workers are lured by social media advertisements of highly lucrative data entry jobs in, as I mentioned, in Thailand. 

Unfortunately, these workers are then taken illegally across the border, into the Myawaddy area of Myanmar. And that area as you know is difficult to access due to the local security situation," he said.

Myawaddy area in southeastern Myanmar's Kayin state bordering Thailand is not fully under the control of the Myanmarese government and certain ethnic armed groups hold sway over it.

Asked about the Indians trapped there, MEA spokesperson Bagchi told reporters: "Some fraudulent IT companies appear to be engaged in digital scamming and forged crypto activities. They seem to be operating through agents in Dubai, Bangkok and India".

The workers are lured by social media advertisements of highly lucrative data entry jobs in Thailand, he said.

However, thanks to the efforts of Indian missions in Myanmar and in Thailand, the rescue of some of these victims from captivity or forced labour has been facilitated and efforts are being made to help others. 

As many as 32 Indians have been rescued.

"I don't want to comment on the exact numbers because that's still an evolving thing, but at least 32 have come out of that. That's broadly what I had to say," he said.

Khalistan Referendum a 'farcical exercise':

The MEA has stated that the so-called 'Khalistan referendum' being organised in countries such as Canada is a "farcical exercise". 

"Basically we would term it as a farcical exercise. The farcical exercise was held by the extremists and radical elements supporting the so-called Khalistan referendum in Canada and elsewhere I think. The matter has been taken up with the Canadian authorities through diplomatic channels," MEA spokesman Bagchi said.

He said, "The government of Canada has reiterated that they respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, and that they will not recognize the so-called referendum, which is taking place in Canada. However, we find it deeply objectionable that politically motivated exercises by extremist elements are allowed to take place in a friendly country".

He further said, " You are all aware of the history of violence in this regard. And the government of India will continue to press the government of Canada on this matter".

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