Press Conference25 May 2001
- Announcement on relations between the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
- Question on the meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan of the People's Republic of China
- Questions on the case of former President Alberto Fujimori of the Republic of Peru
- Question on comments by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Perez de Cuellar of the Republic of Peru
- Questions on contact between the Government of Japan and former President Fujimori
- Questions on requests for judicial assistance with regard to the case of former President Fujimori
- Question in relation to protests by Muslims against a recent incident in Toyama Prefecture
- Questions on the movie "Pearl Harbor"
- Question on travel advisory warnings in relation to India and Pakistan
- Announcement on relations between the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Assistant Press Secretary Daisuke Matsunaga: Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman, and thank you very much for coming. I would like to just let you know at the outset that you are welcome to ask questions in either English or Japanese.
I would like to start by making one announcement on relations between the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Indian Minister of External Affairs Jaswant Singh announced that the Government of India has decided to invite Chief Executive Gen. Pervez Musharraf of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to India.
The Government of Japan hopes that this decision by the Indian Government will lead to the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan. Japan also hopes that these efforts at rapprochement between India and Pakistan will be continued.
Related Information (Japan-India Relations)
Related Information (Japan-Pakistan Relations)
- Question on the meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan of the People's Republic of China
Q: Were the safeguard issues and Japan's right of collective security taken up at the bilateral foreign ministerial meeting in China?
Mr. Matsunaga: The right to collective security was not taken up. On the safeguard issue, as far as I know, this point was not touched upon. The briefing given by the Director of the China Division of the Foreign Ministry does not say anything on the safeguard question.
Related Information (Japan-China Relations)
- Questions on the case of former President Alberto Fujimori of the Republic of Peru
Q: I would like to ask you questions on two points. First, I would like to ask you a question about the former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori. Yesterday, according to the local Peruvian reports, a Peruvian authority is now preparing to file a case against the former president about the constitutional denunciation and a possible homicide charge in relation to the 1991 massacres. If the Peruvian Congress passes the charges, what is the Japanese Government's response?
Mr. Matsunaga: First of all, our policy is to try our best to maintain Japan's friendly relations with the Republic of Peru. This point has been repeatedly made. And so far, Japan has not been requested to extradite former President Alberto Fujimori. The case you raised is a hypothetical case, and therefore I should refrain from making any comment. In any event, we intend to maintain and further strengthen our friendly bilateral relations with Peru.
Q: I am just wondering, because he still has immunity, as the former Peruvian president; however, if his immunity was lifted, is there any way that the Japanese Government can stop the Peruvian authority accusing Mr. Fujimori, who is currently staying here in Japan?
Mr. Matsunaga: I am not too familiar with the legal niceties; however, the Peruvian government has not requested the extradition of the former president, so therefore it remains a hypothetical question. If I may, I would like to refrain from commenting on that hypothetical case. It is Japan's intention to maintain and further strengthen Japan's friendly bilateral relations with Peru.
Q: Does that mean the Japanese Government is prepared to cooperate with the Peruvian authority in any manner?
Mr. Matsunaga: Of course we are ready to hear what the Peruvian Government has to say, but the Peruvian side has not made an extradition request to the Japanese Government.
Q: The Government of Japan, or the Ministry, is insisting that the position is the same: you are waiting. Are you not taking any measures or preparing any scenario in the event that they request an extradition?
Mr. Matsunaga: Again, we have not received any extradition request from the Peruvian Government, so I had best refrain from making any comment on a hypothetical case.
Q: I understand that only the United States has this extradition agreement. Do you have anything similar, something, a case that is similar to this case?
Mr. Matsunaga: Do you mean, do we have an extradition treaty with Peru?
Q: No, I mean a case, a case that is similar to this?
Mr. Matsunaga: Where the extradition treaty with the United States was actually applied?
Q: Yes. How many times?
Mr. Matsunaga: I am sorry, I do not have that information, but I can look into that for you.
Q: It means you are not prepared for extradition in the case they ask for it? Do you know how many Japanese nationals have been extradited until now?
Mr. Matsunaga: To the United States, to anywhere?
Q: Any country, if the United States is not the only country?
Mr. Matsunaga: I cannot give you any specific figures right now, but certainly, as I said earlier, I can look into that.
Q: You said that you have not received any extradition [request], but are you aware of the latest information on Fujimori?
Mr. Matsunaga: As far as I understand, Mr. Fujimori is still somewhere in Japan; exactly where, I personally do not know.
Q: And regarding the news about what is happening in Peru, the accusations against Fujimori, are you aware of the accusations?
Mr. Matsunaga: I have read the news reports.
Q: There is no comment on these reports, that he killed three people, that is the basic accusation and there are a lot more?
Mr. Matsunaga: We are aware of the news reports. But as I said earlier, our position, to pursue our friendly relations, remains the same. I have no comment on the news reports.
Related Information (Japan-Peru Relations)
- Question on comments by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Perez de Cuellar of the Republic of Peru
Q: There was a comment by Perez de Cuellar that it could be considered to cut diplomatic relations with Japan. Is there any comment from the Japanese Government on that?
Mr. Matsunaga: We are aware of the news reports that Peruvian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Perez de Cuellar, who was visiting the Republic of Argentina, responded to a reporter who asked him a question while he was walking. It was not a staged interview; while he was walking a reporter approached him with a microphone and asked him some questions. We are aware of the news reports, but we have no comment.
Q: Are you saying that when you walk the answer is different?
Mr. Matsunaga: No, I just wanted to describe the situation where that comment was uttered.
Q: Thank you very much.
Related Information (Japan-Peru Relations)
- Questions on contact between the Government of Japan and former President Fujimori
Q: Is the Japanese Government in touch with Mr. Fujimori? Anybody from the Government?
Mr. Matsunaga: As far as I know, the Japanese Government is not in touch with Mr. Fujimori. Certainly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not in touch with Mr. Fujimori.
Q: You mean on a formal basis. Maybe on a personal basis?
Mr. Matsunaga: Either on a personal basis or an official basis, as far as I know, the Government is not in touch with Mr. Fujimori.
Related Information (Japan-Peru Relations)
- Questions on requests for judicial assistance with regard to the case of former President Fujimori
Q: What is your procedure when there is a request? I understand that there were two requests from the Peruvian Government before, and they had to go through the Foreign Ministry, because it is a foreign government asking another country and so the request must go through the foreign minister of the country in question, in this case, Japan. So apparently there were two requests for cooperation? The division dealing with Peru informed me about these.
Mr. Matsunaga: According to the documents I have at hand, we have received a request for judicial assistance, and we will proceed in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.
Q: What is your impression regarding these two requests?
Mr. Matsunaga: Given this concerns criminal investigations being undertaken by a foreign authority, I would like to refrain from illuminating the specific content of the request.
Q: Will there be any action?
Mr. Matsunaga: We will take the proper procedures in accordance with our relevant rules and regulations.
Q: Well, I heard that answer the day after the requests came. So there is no progress on that?
Mr. Matsunaga: It is not an extradition request; this is about judicial assistance cooperation.
Q: I wonder whether you have any hypothetical plans in case the Peruvian authorities ask for further action from Mr. Fujimori. Can you just confirm whether you do or you do not?
Mr. Matsunaga: I just said I would like to refrain from making any comment on a hypothetical case; I am neither denying nor confirming that we have any series of action to be taken in mind.
Q: We are here several weeks after the Peruvian Government made this request, and there is no progress. It makes me, and several people in this room, think that either the Government of Japan is not interested at all in the situation, it does not care, or there is a big secret behind this. Can you tell me which one?
Mr. Matsunaga: You narrowed it down to two options. I do not necessarily accept...
Q: Give me a third or a fourth?
Mr. Matsunaga: I can always refer you to the division that actually handles this case, but I am afraid that the answer will probably be the same. This is far as I can go.
Q: It is amusing and amazing that there is a case of a former president of a country, which has maybe 200 million people in Latin America thinking about what is happening, and the Government of Japan is not giving a single answer. I understand that he is a Japanese citizen, and you have all the right to protect him, but also you must understand that he was the president. I think it is kind of sad that we cannot get any satisfactory answer after all this time. The same answer is not an answer for us.
Mr. Matsunaga: My personal reaction is that the fact a great many people in Latin America are interested in this case may be revealing to some people.
Related Information (Japan-Peru Relations)
- Question in relation to protests by Muslims against a recent incident in Toyama Prefecture
Q: One more question, about Muslims, especially Pakistani Muslims, they held a gathering of about 1,000 people in Toyama Prefecture earlier this week on 22 May. And today, once again, at Tokyo Mosque they are currently holding a meeting in response to the destruction of a Koran. At this point, what is the stance of the Japanese Government?
Mr. Matsunaga: For the benefit of others, to briefly relate this case, on 22 May in Toyama Prefecture, a Koran was cut by scissors and strewn around. And in response, some Pakistani people, according to the news report about 300 people, gathered in front of the local police station to protest against such action. This case is now under investigation by Toyama prefectural police in accordance with the relevant legislation, and we sincerely hope that this case will be resolved very soon.
On 22 May, Counselor Wahid of the Pakistani Embassy in Tokyo called on Director Hikihara of the Southwest Asian Division and said that this was a quite unfortunate incident, and he requested that the Japanese authorities investigate the case and take appropriate action, including punishment of the culprit. Furthermore, Counselor Wahid requested that the Japanese authorities do their utmost to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Director Hikihara certainly heard his case.
Related Information (Japan-Pakistan Relations)
- Questions on the movie "Pearl Harbor"
Q: I am interested in the movie "Pearl Harbor" that has premiered in the United States. As I am sure you know, there have been numerous protests by Japanese Americans about the content of the movie, specifically, inaccuracies and stereotyped images of Japanese people. And in the Japanese press there has been some worry or concern expressed about the contents of the film. What is the Foreign Ministry's stance? What does the Foreign Minister say? Is she concerned about the movie?
Mr. Matsunaga: We are aware of the concern expressed by the Japanese American groups, that this film might cause anti-Japanese feeling. We understand that the producers have no anti-Japanese intentions, and we hope that this film will not trigger or heighten any anti-Japanese feeling among the viewers. As far as the Government is concerned, we are not in a position to make any further comment on the content of the movie "Pearl Harbor," but we hope that this movie will not cause any anti-Japanese feeling among audiences.
Q: One comment from the US press is that it might present a very different view of history than what Japanese people have learned in schools and from textbooks here, and there was some speculation that the movie might be reacted to with a great deal of surprise?
Mr. Matsunaga: Well, the Pearl Harbor attack is mentioned in the Japanese history textbooks. This is my personal comment, but I do not think there will be too big a surprise; it is already in the Japanese textbooks. Therefore, unless you were a very lazy student, you must be aware of the historical fact.
Q: But I grew up here too, and you learn very little about Pearl Harbor, say, in comparison to the Battle of Okinawa or Hiroshima. I think people are aware that something happened there but not in great detail, certainly not in the kind of detail that the Government is more concerned about.
Mr. Matsunaga: Well, in any society some people study history harder than others, so for some people it will be a revealing movie, but for other people perhaps it will be a confirmation of what they have already learnt. Again, these are my personal comments. You raised the case of a history textbook. Depending on the individual, the movie might be revealing new information to some people, but for others it would not be new information. If I may comment on my own personal experience, Pearl Harbor is common knowledge among the people of my age group. I repeat these are my personal remarks; the official comments are those I gave at the opening of my remarks.
Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
- Question on travel advisory warnings in relation to India and Pakistan
Q: The US government issued a travel advisory notice to US citizens traveling around the world, which affected some travel to Muslim and Hindu areas. Do you know how many travel advisory notices have been issued regarding India and Pakistan? And will this [latest notice] affect Japanese traveling?
Mr. Matsunaga: I will have to check how many travel advisory notices have been issued in relation to those areas. I will look into that and provide you with detailed information about our travel advisory. I certainly hope that the issuance of this travel advisory warning by the Government of the United States of America will not adversely affect the Japanese tourist industry.
Related Information (Japan-India Relations)
Related Information (Japan-Pakistan Relations)
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