For any journalist to be murdered doing their job is a tragedy, I feel for Nagais family and hope that at least in some small way, in giving his life to report this story, that we in the free democratic world can use his martyrdom to make change in their country for the better.
I would sincerely hope that the Japanese government is in the process of severing all political and financial ties with this regime.

Charlie Thomson, Singapore, Singapore

This gunman who made shot dead to this Japanese photographer is not a soldier. All the people from the world can clearly seen that he is a prisoner of prison from somewhere of Burma. Look his movement, he is like a numb and move exactly like a prisoner in prison. I've seen that kinda prisoners working beside the railroad as force labor for so many times and I've seen how they behave at their working sites from the train. Who gonna stop that kind of brutal actions in BURMA? UN is a dumb organization and their envoy mission to Burma is like a puppet in the show. Since 1988 to date, there's a lot of UN special envoys are change and nothing is changed. I don't believe in that mission. Now Japan is coming to take action because they've seen their man is shot dead. Now S'pore is talking about Burma when they seen their citizen is hit by rubber bullets. If they are not Japanese or Singaporean, they would stay calm and sing the song LET IT BE. What's a pity to Burmese people.

Peacock, Singapore, Singapore

Cameramen like any other journalists ares on the hunt...lusting to be the one with the first and best shots!
Get real! Nothing to do with 'heroism'.
Nothing to do with 'truth' - for goodness sake!
Put yourself willingly in a war zone, and what do you expect?!

Burma - rich in timber and gas?! You bet - ask Thailand. (e.g. EGAT). Present and past Thai governments have got a good foothold there. Expressly complicit and highly supportive of the military regime in Burma.

-Sappho, Bangkok, Thailand.

Paula Phillips, Bangkok, Thailand

Those people criticising Western governments for not intervening in Burma and comparing with Iraq need to get their feet a bit closer to planet earth. Military intervention is hugely costly - financially, politically, and morally. No Western government would use military force without multiple reasons for doing so.

In the case of Iraq, the regime was a threat to Western global interests. Their oil reserves were one means for doing this, but Hussain's overriding desire to confront the West made him a top priority. This was why troops were sent in.

Burma on the other hand did not seek to oppose the West. For sure their government leaves a lot to be desired, as do many in the world today, but you can bet that long term strategies to change that situation were and are in place.

Rich, Birmingham, UK

to say, as Trihn, Brisbane does, that "killing monks is unforgivable. Not even Christians do that." is actually false. There have been plenty of priests and nuns killed, often with the active complicity of Western "christian" nations - in particular the USA - , both in Africa and especially South America. When the Church abandons it's traditional role of propping up the power structure and sharing the spoils and joins popular protests, it is not long before those in power start targetting them.

The key of course is China - but there is little difference between the mentality of the Chinese military and political establishment and the Burmese military. They have common interests in that their real enemy is the people. And they will stop at nothing to maintain their power and privilege. So there is nothing to be hoped for from that quarter.

The Burmese can only rely on themselves to oust the miltary dictatorship - everyone else will just make ineffectual noises.

john, Marseille, France

I agree on economic sanctions on Burma, it's time to get tough with such a ruthless regime. The Japanese and other affluent governments should impose sanctions on Burma. At any rate, this government will only make its people suffer even more.
Also, killing monks is unforgivable. Not even Christians do that. When members of the military junta die, they can forget about condolences - except from the likes of them.

Trinh, Brisbane, Australia

If you have a website, blog or forum, support this initiative to show your support for the peaceful protesters in Burma:

International bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words „Free Burma!“.

Link and Banners: http://freeburma.stots.de/doku.php

Klaus Schneider, Bremen, Germany

Democratic societies have an obligation to promote democracies where they can. Governments and companies that foster relations with the likes of the Burmese government have this blood on their hands. Ironic I think that the jounalist is Japanese. And he is a hero. He must mave felt that publishing the video he had was worth his life.

Danberry, McHenry, IL

Pretty sad. The Burmese government can't afford to give their soldiers proper footwear (boots). But they definitely made sure he had an expensive killing weapon. If the Japanese Government refuses to impose economic sanctions against Burma, the least they could do is insist the soldier be courtmartialled and shot (that is, live by the gun, die by the gun).

Mike
Canada.

Mike, Ajax, Canada

really I am not that glad to hold the so-called Olympic
Its importance is not that big.

dont use boycott such game to make China do everything you West want,if we satisfy you once,maybe you will demand more,relating the game with everything you want,thats your wet-dream.

Boycott if you like to,please.

Funny, Shanghai, China

Actually Peter, that is no excuse to shoot anyone. Let alone an unarmed, "innocent" journalist just doing there job. It was not the job of that soldier to shoot him, it was to disperse protesters of which he was obviously not a part of.

Ken, Bend, Oregon

I think this finally proves the folly of ASEAN admitting these SLORC military thugs into their fold. ASEAN is clearly a joke and the laughing stock of thinking people - it has done nothing, repeat NOTHING of any substance to avoid nor even mitigate the cold-blooded murder of innocent Burmese citizens by its own criminal government. I expect ASEAN will will most likely typically make sympathetic statements, then hope it will all go away and be forgotten like yesterday's news.

Rod, Singapore,

GW is busy in Iraq, lets hope GW knows Burma is not near Bermuda or he might invade it by mistake. The double standards of democracy are sad to see. Poor people of Burma. Stop buying goods made in China, thats how to support Burma's bid for democracy.

mohsen, malaga, spain

Absolutely atrocious behaviour on the part of this mindless cruel soldier and the chain of command that controls him, right up to the highest level.

david, London, UK

I won't be buying any goods from China or Russia until they put an end to this.

John, Toddington,

Hopefully democracy comes to Burma and ends the longest civil war in history. And to Phil Burton, try to get some facts before making statements as Burma has quiet a bit of oil.

Oleg Sidorenko, Montreal, Canada

Mr Burton

> Oh, I forgot, there's no oil in Burma.

And how do you think Burmah Oil got its name?

Lots of oil in Burma. Why do you think China is so friendly...

jmcconnell, san francisco,

It is not acceptable to shoot a person who only holds a camera. I don't understand why they have to open fire on people with no weapon. I am so frastrated with this situation. The world has to do something.

Barry, New York, US

To those saying the US and Britain do not intervene in Burma because there's no oil: there's no oil in Afghanistan as well, and the Taliban were surely a more opressing regime than the Burmese rulers. And yet a majority of the Americans and Britons want their troops out of Afghanistan.
That's why nobody bothers to send troops to Burma or Zimbabwe. Because once the troops are there, there will be coffins coming home, or abuses by the soldiers. And once again, protestors will take the streets, until the government brings the troops back home, leaving an unstable and eventually unsustainable government behind.
So again: if you want interventions, even for humanitarian reasons, be ready to support the consequences, and don't shy away when the first bullets are shot at British soldiers.

Alex, Frankfurt, Germany

If we really want to influence the Burma junta it will be through China, a nation desperate for world approval. The Chinese are pinning their hopes for recognition on the Olympics. Make that a target and China may well act. If major Olympic participating nations were to threaten to refuse to allow their citizens to participate or spectate China would loose face. And yes Nations can easily stop their citizens attending, a Passport remains the property of the Issuing Government and can be revoked at any time in the "National Interest". Oh and ban Burmese from participation in any international event, governments such as Burma need international recognition to prop themselves up.

Jaffa, Hobart, Tasmania

"Nagai’s father said that if his son had indeed been shot dead at point blank range, it was the cruelest way to die"

Er hello look what you lot did to the Bumese 60 years ago, being shot was for the lucky ones. Maybe this soldiers family had a score to settle.

peter, limassol,

Now this would have been an invasion worth staging, not for oil and contracts but to bring democracy to people who actually want it.

Guido, La Linea,

Actually Rachel, Burma's got gas & condensate but because European countries (such as France) are allowed to exploit it there is no need to 'bother' as you put it...

'cowfreak', paris, france

Economic sanctions should continue be leveraged to their best potential, however since this nation is not significant enough that infighting would create instability in the region there is really no national interest for western nations to adopt methods other than those they have already been using against the junta. That may sound callous, but the reality is that whatever ends this conflict reaches they are going to have to come through this themselves. No western nation(s) will intervene on the ground, of that I am certain.

Jonathan RF Cooke, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

First, there's lots of natural gas, timber, gems, and yes oil in Bruma. Burma sells a lot to the French and of course the Chinese. Second, there's no oil in Afghanistan, Israel or Kosovo but the West intervenes but Sudan with abundant oil and gas (sold to the Chinese) there has been no western intervention in Dafur. The Chinese however have troops. The canard that Western intervention is predicated on oil is total unsupported by facts. It is an attempt to impune the motives of west's intervention and protect those countries who do intervene for oil.

John, palo alto,

Maybe we should remind the U.S. government that there is a war on drugs, I hear Burma has some pretty good stuff. Just like Afghanistan and Columbia, it's working there right?

Dvke D Trimm, Covington, G.A.

It is about time that the West (UK,USA ,and Europe) took some firm military actions against this brutal dictatorship. - Peter, London, UK

What a joke! We have no moral authority left to preach to any 2 bit regime or tinpot dictatorship because what the US and UK governments have inflicted on Iraq is a million times worse. Whilst I have every sympathy for the innocent photographer, this sort of thing goes on every day in Iraq. It has even been privatised to companies like Blackwater to carry out. This is the shame of the Western world. The US has used thousands of tonnes of Depleted Uranium in Iraq. In contrast, only 64kg was used at Hiroshima. The consequences of both actions will remain for thousands of years.

Keith Silverman, Barnet, North London, UK

That really is awful.
My thoughts go to his family, and to him.

Gus, Los Angeles, USA / CA

The man is a true Hero, without his kind we'd all be none the wiser and there would probably be way more oppression than there is now.

In my opinion these guys are braver than soldiers, no weapons apart from their integrity and moral imperative.

RIP Nagai

Ross Wilson, Southampton, Hampshire

Hey, Mr Blair, there's a job for you in Burma. And take Gordon along with you for all the good words of encouragement to do something (by others!) about the murderous conduct of the militia. If Gordon won't go voluntarily, ask him what his daddy would have told him to do, and then to go and do it!

Maxadolf, Epsom, UK

Here is a country that WANTS democracy and is being slaughtered by its military, and we are doing nothing but giving lip service to them. Iraq could care less about democracy, and there we are, fighting like it was a cause. We are in the wrong country .

m.J., Iowa, U.S.A.

The world has to do all it can to get rid of this murderous regime.They plainly murdered Kenji Nagai and this will not be tolerated.Take it from this hillybilly from Tennessee the people need to arm themselves against a government that spreads a reign of terror.

Greg Webber, Clinton, Tennessee,USA

To Phil Burton I would say 2 things; first the US won't go in because people like you (cronic anti-americans, who want to portray every problem as america's fault) give them so much angst at liberating Iraq and would say (if the US DID intervene) something like "the US shouldn't mettle in the affairs of another country". Secondly, Burma does have oil reserves.

Mr. King, Manchester,

Zimbabwe, Burma. No oil. Why bother?

Rachel, Hong Kong,

Japan should sue Than Shwe and request his extradition not only for Mr. Nagai's soul but also for Burmese people.

Hiss, Taipei, Taiwan

It is about time that the West (UK,USA ,and Europe) took some firm military actions against this brutal dictatorship.

Peter, London, UK

Stray bullet? what the hell are they using live rounds for anyway?

fred, nottingham, uk

RIP Nagai. Lets hope your death shall not be in vain.

Utterly disgraceful scenes of innocent people being treated in such a way.

We and the US went in to Iraq claiming we were saving the Iraqi people from terrible abuse of their human rights, well how about we start protecting the innocent people of Burma? Oh, I forgot, there's no oil in Burma.

Phil Burton, Aldridge, West Midlands

Killing an unarmed camera man is murder be it by police or criminal, the killer should be captured and hung.
the cameraman die at work should give state funnrel in japan

finamore, sydney, australia