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1st LD Writethru: Japan vows to resolve hostage crisis

Xinhua, January 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Japanese top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday that Japan will not be subject to terrorism and vowed ultimate efforts to resolve the hostage crisis, referring to a video released by the Islamic State (IS) on two Japanese captives.

Suga said in a press briefing that Tokyo has been in a bid to confirm the authenticity of the video, adding, "If (the program is) true, using people's lives to threaten us is an unforgivable act."

"We will make utmost efforts for their early release through working with other countries. We will contribute to the international fight against terrorism without giving in," he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has been in a visit to the Middle East, condemned the hostage taking and said he will cancel part of his trip to handle the crisis, Japan's Kyodo News reported.

Abe also demanded the two Japanese hostages, a freelancer and a manager of a private armament company, to be released immediately, saying Japan will prioritize the safety of the two hostages.

Japan has decided to send Yasuhide Nakayama, one of the senior vice foreign ministers, who is accompanying Abe on his trip to the Middle East, to the Jordanian capital Amman to handle the situation, according to local report.

The prime minister's office has set up a task force to deal with the situation.

In the video released on the Internet, a man claiming to be a member of the IS threatened Japan to kill the two hostages unless a ransom of 200 million U.S. dollars is paid.

Local media reports said the release of the video aims at Japan 's 200-million-dollar support in the Middle East region to fight against the IS militants. Endi