#On March 20th

March 19, 2000

PR Department of Aleph

Five years have passed since the Tokyo subway gas attack took place on March 20 of 1995. On this day of March 20 of 2000, we would like to engrave again in our mind the mischievous that formerly Aum Shinrikyo made five years ago. We are resolute again in sincerely making apologies and compensation as much as we can.

Furthermore, some followers have expressed their will to compensate directly to the victims of the 1995 Tokyo subway gas attack, apart from the monthly compensation through the bankruptcy foundation. We also have appealed to the followers for donation to the fund of "the Association of the Victims of the Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack" and raised a lot of funding from many of them. We hope the followers' intention like this could be fulfilled even a little contribution to the medical treatment and livelihood of the victims and bereaved families.

To the Victims and Bereaved Families of the 1995 Tokyo Subway Sarin Gas Attack

On this day, 5 years ago, the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack was carried out by top members of then Aum Shinrikyo. The attack inflicted irreparably serious damages to thousands of citizens who just happened to be on the subways at that moment, and inevitably caused an unprecedented social unrest. However, in the last 5 years, unable to take the responsibility as the party concerned or the organization that caused the damages, we did not express our view on the incidents. Consequently, we ended up causing much suffering to the victims and bereaved families and destroyed the relationship with society.

Whenever we think about the consequences that the lack of discretion and maturity in our part brought about in the last five years, we feel terribly sorry and ashamed to the extent that we want to hide ourselves away.

Of course we never think that our immatureness can justify damages and sufferings to the victims and bereaved families. And, therefore, today we would like to apologize heartedly to the victims and bereaved families: We are terribly sorry.

To make up for the last five years, not only will we make every effort to make financial compensations as we have promised, but also are we determined to do everything we could.

We would appreciate it so much if you could give us a chance to repent of our past mistakes and to make a new start.

Last, but not least, we would like to pray from the bottom of our heart that the suffering of the victims and bereaved families may ease as much as possible.

March 20, 2000

Tatsuko Muraoka, Representative of Aleph