Japan: Liberal Democratic Party eyes compensation for Aum victims with bill

The Liberal Democratic Party decided Thursday to submit a bill for a special law allowing the government to shoulder compensation payment for victims of crimes involving the Aum Supreme Truth cult and their families to the next ordinary Diet session.

The bill, which was drafted at a meeting of a project team promoting the smooth implementation of the Basic Plan for Crime Victims, would allow the state to pay unpaid compensation money for the victims and the families on behalf of Aum, and to retrieve the money from the cult.

As the Democratic Party of Japan is also considering submitting similar legislation, the LDP aims to compile a bill sponsored by a cross-party group of lawmakers.

According to the victims’ defense team, bankruptcy proceedings for Aum will conclude in March 2008.

However, debts incurred by the cult total 5.1 billion yen, and about 3.8 billion yen in compensation owed to the victims and their families has not been paid.

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