Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga

A video purporting to show the burning to death of the Jordanian pilot Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, who had been held hostage by the “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (ISIL), has been uploaded on the internet. Following the confirmation of the video by the Government of Jordan, the Prime Minister has released a statement, which has been distributed to you. Such an act of terrorism is outrageous and impermissible and causes the Government nothing but strong indignation. The Government thus expresses resolute condemnation. Japan, in collaboration with the international community, will further expand our humanitarian assistance and steadfastly fulfill our responsibility in the international community combatting terrorism.

Q&As

REPORTER: I have a question concerning the murder of the Jordanian pilot. The Jordanian Armed Forces have announced on Jordanian national television that the killing of the lieutenant took place on January 3. Could you tell us when the Government of Japan found out about this information and by what information channels?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government of Japan became aware of this from today’s local press reports and other sources.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: On a related note, even if it may have been unclear how reliable the information was, did the Government have any information that suggested there was a possibility that the pilot had been killed on January 3 or something similar?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government received various items of information on this matter, but I would like to refrain from commenting about the details. It is a fact that many different factors had to be taken into account.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: If it is actually the case that Lt. al-Kaseasbeh had already been killed, then this demonstrates that the initial demands made by ISIL were devoid of truth from the outset. What are your views on this point?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: As I have stated previously, ISIL is a terrorist group engaged in outrageous and impermissible acts, and a group that plunders, kills and maims for its own selfish purposes. It is a group that is engaged in impermissible acts, all of which are beyond the bounds of any conventional thinking.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question concerning the statement that Prime Minister Abe is scheduled to issue this year on the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. This morning a meeting was held between the Secretary Generals and other officials of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New Komeito, in which Secretary General Inoue of New Komeito made a request that the statement be compiled after the Government and ruling parties have come to a common recognition with regard to the contents. How will the Government respond to this request?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, the Government will ask a panel of experts to convene a meeting on this topic, and I expect that this meeting will result in various proposals being submitted by the experts concerned. Based on this the Government will proceed to determine the contents of the statement. At this point the Government wishes to wait for the outcome of the experts’ meeting.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Returning to the matter of the Prime Minister’s statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, you stated that you will ask a panel of experts to convene a meeting. Has any specific schedule been set for such a meeting?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The members of the meeting have yet to be decided. This is something that will be determined from now.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Earlier, during the Diet session, Mr. Goshi Hosono of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) asked the Prime Minister whether war-time leaders were included among the war victims. The Prime Minister omitted to make a clear response, noting only that war-time leaders bore a share of the responsibility for the tragic circumstances that the war inflicted on many people. However, he did not make clear whether he considers the war-time leaders to also be war victims. What is the view of the Government on this matter?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I am not aware of the exchange that took place. Did the Prime Minister really make such a response? I did not hear such exchanges in the Diet. I would like to respond to this question at a later date.