Press Conference by the Press Secretary 21 September, 1999

1. Japan's humanitarian aid for East Timor
2. The easing of sanctions imposed by the United States on North Korea
3. Japan's response to the earthquake in Taiwan
4. Possible bank scandal in Japan

1. Japan's humanitarian aid for East Timor

   Press Secretary Sadaaki Numata: Good afternoon. First on East Timor. In my last press conference on Friday 17 September I talked about Japan's plan to extend emergency humanitarian assistance and other assistance to East Timor. There has been one further development, which is that Director-General for International Social Cooperation Hideaki Ueda and several other officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were dispatched to the Republic of Indonesia on 18 September to study the situation regarding humanitarian assistance to East Timor. On 19 September Director-General Ueda and his team, as well as Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia Takao Kawakami went to West Timor to observe the situation in the refugee camps there, and in fact this group went there with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata. On 20 September they exchanged views with the Government of Indonesia, international organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In fact these exchanges of views took place not only with the Japanese team but also with the members of similar teams dispatched from other countries, for example the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Kingdom of Thailand, and other countries.- Director-General Ueda will be returning home shortly, and we are looking forward to hearing the report of this mission, which will help us in our consideration of the humanitarian assistance to East Timor.

   Some other members of the mission will stay behind in Indonesia and will be observing the situation in West Timor a little more closely, together with the representatives of the international organisations concerned, such as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as well as the representatives of the other countries which I mentioned, for example the United States, Thailand, Sweden and the United Kingdom. If the security situation permits, these people may be going into East Timor.

   Related Information (Timor-Leste Situation (Archives))
   
2. The easing of sanctions imposed by the United States on North Korea

   Mr. Numata: Secondly on North Korea. Again I talked at length on North Korea on Friday of last week. There has also been a subsequent development, in the sense that on Friday 17 September, Eastern American time, the Government of the United States announced that it would ease some of its sanctions on North Korea. We support this announcement of the Government of the United States on the easing of some of its sanctions on North Korea as this action represents a step towards improved relations between the United States and North Korea. We recognise that the Government of the United States has taken this action to invite North Korea's further positive response under the comprehensive and integrated approach developed jointly by Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea through the so-called Perry Process. We strongly hope that this will further advance the relationship between the United States and North Korea.

   Related Information (North Korea's Missile Launch)
   
3. Japan's response to the earthquake in Taiwan

   Mr. Numata: Thirdly, I would like to comment on the earthquake in Taiwan. As you know, this morning we received the news about this terrible earthquake in the central part of Taiwan. We do not know at this point exactly what the tolls are, but the number seems to be increasing hour-by-hour. We would like to extend our very sincere condolences to the people who fell victim to this earthquake, as well as to their bereaved families.

   It is our intention to extend help in cooperation with relevant international organizations from a humanitarian viewpoint, and we are actively considering the possibility of sending, for example, an emergency rescue team, and to that end this afternoon we dispatched a team of six officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Police Agency, the National Fire Agency, the Maritime Safety Agency, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency to see the situation on the ground with a view to helping us formulate our plans as to how we might be able to extend emergency help.

   Q: When do you think that the six officials will report in, and when will Japan be able to send a rescue team? As you know, with these things time is very important.

   Mr. Numata: Of course time is of the essence, but it is also important to assess the situation on the ground. This team of six people must be in the air now as they must have departed at 14:00 from Haneda Airport. Firstly they will collect as much information as possible, and if possible they will take a trip to the afflicted areas to see the situation there. I talked about the possibility of sending an emergency rescue team, for example. We have a law under which we can send these emergency rescue teams at the request of the governments of the countries concerned or at the request of the relevant international organisations. That is why I am saying that in the case of Taiwan, with which we do not have diplomatic relations, we intend to do this in close cooperation with the international organisations concerned. That is why we are trying to get in touch with the international organisations concerned at the same time.

   Related Information (Earthquake in Taiwan)
   
4. Possible bank scandal in Japan

   Q: I'm not sure if you're familiar with this case. I am from Peru and I have heard about a banking scandal and that the Japanese authorities have intervened in a bank called Copernicus Japan. Are you familiar with the case?

   Mr. Numata: Not entirely. I remember seeing a news story about it, but apart from that I don't think I can claim any familiarity with the subject. I'm sorry.