Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

REPORTER: I have a question concerning the hostage incident. Last night, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Yasuhide Nakayama met with His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan, who also expressed sentiments that the situation was extremely severe. I am aware that the Government of Japan is engaged in all possible efforts to secure the early release of the hostages, but can you share with us your recognition the current status of negotiations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Yesterday, from about 10:30 p.m. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Yasuhide Nakayama met with H.M. King Abdullah of Jordan for approximately 30 minutes. During the meeting, Minister Nakayama requested cooperation in efforts to secure the release of the hostages and H.M. King Abdullah responded that Jordan would provide all possible assistance in the midst of what is a severe situation. That is what Minister Nakayama reported to me concerning the understanding he had received from the Jordanian side.

REPORTER: Has the Government received any information, including from the Local Response Headquarters in Jordan about the safety of the two hostages?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government has been unable to confirm the safety of the hostages, yet.

REPORTER: Has the Government received any contact from the “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (ISIL)?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: As I stated yesterday, the Government is currently using all the means at its disposal, through a variety of media channels, to send out a clear message in cooperation with the countries concerned and representatives of ethnic and religious groups, that the assistance Japan announced on January 17 is purely for improving people’s daily lives in the Middle East, including assistance for the more-than-10 million refugees and displaced persons, and also that all assistance implemented to date has been in non-military fields. By no means is the intent of Japan’s efforts to harm or kill the Muslim people, as was alleged by the perpetrator of the threats. As we make our strongest efforts to secure the early release of the hostages in the midst of what is a difficult situation, Japan will not give in to terrorism, and we will continue to contribute to the counter-terrorism efforts of the international community.

REPORTER: At the current point in time, has the Government of Japan found any kind of communication channels to ISIL?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The situation is as I have just described it.

REPORTER: On a related note, can you confirm that, although contact has yet to be made with ISIL, efforts are being made to secure a negotiation route?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: As I have just stated, the Government is currently using all means at its disposal through every of channels to send out a clear message seeking the swift release of the hostages, stressing that assistance provided by Japan is purely for improving people’s daily lives in the Middle East, that all assistance is for humanitarian purposes and non-military issues, and that by no means is the intent of Japan’s efforts to harm or kill the Muslim people.

REPORTER: While I understand the message being sent out by Japan as you have just described, has that Government received any kind of message, contact or statement of intent from the other side?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: No contact has been received.

REPORTER: Regarding the video that was uploaded on the internet, there are press reports that claim there is a strong possibility that the video was doctored. What is the Government’s view as a result of analysis that has been conducted?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government is indeed engaged in analysis of the video, but I would like to refrain from responding in detail about the details of such analysis.

REPORTER: So, are we to assume that the Government currently does not have sufficient materials to suggest that there is a strong possibility that the video has been doctored?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: We are currently analyzing the video, but I would like to refrain from making any detailed comments at this point.

REPORTER: The United States takes a critical stance on responding to ransom demands, and while there are some countries in Europe that take a similar stance to the United States, there have been cases in which European countries have responded to ransom demands. The Government of Japan has taken the stance of never giving in to terrorism, which could be viewed as being contradictory to prioritizing human lives. What is the Government’s current thinking with regard to the ransom demand?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, I do not think that the two concepts are mutually exclusive. It is natural for Japan, as a nation, to prioritize human life, and at the same time it is also natural to take a stance of never giving in to terrorism and contributing to measures by the international community to combat terrorism, based on United Nations Security Council resolutions.

REPORTER: In this current case, has a conclusion been reached concerning Japan’s response? Or is it the case that, as the other side has yet to provide any response, the Government’s own response may change depending on if contact from the other side is forthcoming?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: There will be no change to the Government’s stance, and the stance that Japan has taken remains consistent. By no means is the intent of Japan’s efforts to harm or kill Muslim people, and it should be clear for anyone to see that the assistance we have implemented to date has been in humanitarian and non-military fields, given that there are already more than 10,000 refugees and displaced persons. We will continue to use all means at our disposal to send this clear message to the other side.

REPORTER: I have a related question. A Japanese scholar of Islamic studies and a Japanese journalist have expressed their willingness, through Twitter and other means, to cooperate with the Government in securing the release of the Japanese hostages, noting their readiness to travel to ISIL-held areas or use their own communication channels to ISIL. Is the Government considering using such channels?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government is currently looking into all manner of possibilities in order to rescue the hostages.

REPORTER: The two that were just mentioned have previously been subject to investigations concerning their involvement with a university student who sought to join ISIL. Is the Government considering seeking the assistance of these people with such matters in mind?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: In any event, the Government’s stance is to prioritize the lives of the hostages and seek out all possibilities when making a response.

REPORTER: I have a question concerning the 72-hour deadline. In yesterday’s press conference, you indicated the Government’s understanding that the timing for this deadline is 2:50 p.m. on January 23. Does the Government therefore consider that there was no time lag between the video first being uploaded and the time when it was first confirmed by the Government?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: No, it is rather the case that the 72-hour deadline is something that was stated, not by the Government but by the perpetrators. The Government confirmed the existence of the video at 2:50 p.m., and we are working together with countries and everyone else concerned, making every effort to secure the early release of the two Japanese nationals. The deadline is something that has been stated by the other side and the Government is unclear about the exact starting point. However, the Government confirmed the existence of the video and we are currently working diligently with that timeframe in mind.

REPORTER: So, is the Government seeking to make some sort of progress in negotiations for the hostages’ release by shortly before 3:00 p.m. tomorrow?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Of course the basic policy of the Government is to secure the hostages’ release as soon as possible. We are making every effort to that end.

REPORTER: This may be a difficult question, but has the Government not entirely ruled out paying a certain amount of the ransom demand as a means of advancing negotiations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The stance of the Government is entirely as I have previously described it.

REPORTER: I have a question on a different topic. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that meetings will be held respectively among the chief delegates of Japan, United States, and Republic of Korea (ROK), and also the chief delegates of Japan and Russia in the Six-Party Talks process relating to North Korean nuclear issues. What discussions does the Government expect will take place in these meetings?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: From January 22 to 23, Mr. Junichi Ihara, Director General of the Asian and Oceanian Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is paying a visit to Moscow, Russia, where he will engage in an exchange of opinions with Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov. In addition, on January 28, a meeting is scheduled to be held in Tokyo between the chief delegates to the Six-Party Talks of Japan, the United States and the ROK. Mr. Ihara will act as the chair for the meeting and will be holding exchanges of opinion with the policy-making representatives. These meetings will provide an opportunity to exchange opinions on the recent situation in North Korea and confirm the parties’ close cooperation with a view to resolving issues relating to North Korea.

REPORTER: I would like to return to the issue of the hostage situation. The perpetrators have cited Japan’s announcement of US$200 million in assistance as the reason why this situation has emerged. However, does the Government really think that by explaining that the assistance is purely for humanitarian and non-military purposes, the perpetrators will view Japan in a positive light?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I believe that it is important to convey a clear message about Japan’s stance. Japan will never give in to terrorism and will continue to contribute to measures by the international community to combat terrorism. That is the clear message we are seeking to convey about Japan’s stance.

REPORTER: If that is the case and in the event that the other side is not persuaded by the Government’s message, are you saying that the only option will be to remain resolute in not giving in to terrorism?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: What I am saying is that the other side has completely misunderstood Japan’s stance. Japan has no intention of harming or killing Muslim people and assistance is being implemented in humanitarian and non-military fields only, to respond to the more-than 10,000 refugees and displaced persons. The Government’s aim is to get the other side to understand this fact and to continue to demand that the two Japanese hostages are released without delay.

REPORTER: I am sorry to be persistent, but while it is probably the case that the Muslim world in general will understand this stance, is it not the case that at the very least ISIL will not be understanding?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I believe that it is important to firmly and clearly emphasize Japan’s stance.

REPORTER: Other than efforts to correct the perpetrators’ misunderstanding, are there any other ways in which the Government will respond, or possibilities for negotiations under certain conditions? Or is it the case that the Government will only make efforts to correct the misunderstanding, but will not make efforts to negotiate under any further terms or conditions?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: What I would like you to bear in mind is that the other side has not made any attempt to contact the Government. In this situation, is it therefore not the case that the only natural thing to do is to clearly emphasize the Government’s stance? We will continue to do this and also continue to demand, the release of the two hostages without delay.

REPORTER: I have a point of confirmation. You have noted that Japan’s stance has been misunderstood, so is it the Government’s recognition that Japan’s stance and response is somewhat different to that of the United States and the United Kingdom, which have demonstrated a strong stance against ISIL?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The stance of Japan is entirely different, as Japan has not and will not provide assistance in military-related fields.