#View on the Aum-related Incidents

December 1, 1999

Tatsuko Muraoka, deputy representative of the religious organization (former Aum Shinrikyo)

Since September 31st of 1999 when we announced the suspension of our external religious activities, we, a religious organization of the former Aum Shinrikyo, have been examining our views on the Aum-related incidents and have so far reached the following conclusions.

After watching our members stand trial, we have reached the conclusion that it is undeniable that some members of our religious group were involved in some of the alleged incidents.

Despite the fact that they were involved in the incidents without the knowledge of Choro-bu, a group of senior followers, and the rest of the remaining followers, we as once their fellow followers of Aum Shinrikyo feel very sorry for what is being proven in the trials and would like to offer our deepest apologies to the victims and bereaved families in the incidents.

Also, with a sincere apology, the members of Choro-bu, including myself, acknowledge our fault for being unable up until now to form and announce our view and thus have ended up spreading unrest and distrust across the nation.

We can just imagine how the feelings might be of the victims who suffered mentally and physically in the incidents. We therefore concluded that not only those who were involved in the incidents but we who were once members of the same religious organization at that time should offer heartily as much compensation as possible to the victims and their families. We intend to proceed to compensation in consultation with our bankruptcy administrator.

As a means to help disperse public unrest and distrust of our group, we have made public our administrative guidelines that strictly prohibit members from engaging in any unlawful activities. From now on, we will lead our members to rigorously stick to them.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to appeal again to the ex-followers still at large to give themselves up to the police.

Last, but not least, let us sound a note of regret about the so-called Aum-specific laws that are being created. We deeply regret that the series of incidents involving our members have consequently led to the creation of laws that will blatantly trample upon human rights stipulated in the Japanese Constitution. We offer a sincere apology to the public for that.

We hope that the laws, if they are to be really enacted, will not be applied to groups other than ours.