The law allowing surveillance of Aum Shinrikyo, the cult responsible for the deadly 1995 sarin attack on the Tokyo subway system and other heinous crimes, should be extended, Justice Minister Chieko Noono said Friday.
Noono told a regular news conference: "The public sense of crisis has not been dispelled. I would like the law to be extended."
The surveillance law is up for review next month. The extension of the five-year law, instituted in December 1999, is being sought by the Justice Ministry's Public Security Intelligence Agency, which says Aum needs to be under continued surveillance because the cult poses a danger to the public and its members are uncooperative toward the agency.
The Judicial Affairs Division and Special Committee on Public Safety of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party held a joint session earlier this week and also gave the go-ahead to extending the law.
"Given the recent activities of Aum Shinrikyo, I think it is necessary to conduct on-site inspections of the group's facilities," Noono said. "Such inspections are still conducted relatively often."