TOKYO, Dec 2 (AFP) - Japan's Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on Thursday vowed to crack down on the Aum Supreme Truth cult, despite the sect's apology for spreading lethal Sarin gas in Tokyo's subway in 1995.
"No matter what, the sect is being judged by the law as a religious group that caused the Sarin incident indiscriminately targeting many innocent people," the premier told reporters.
"We should never allow such a crime to happen again and now we are going to deter it by enacting two Aum laws," he said.
The cult admitted its direct involvement in the gas attack on Wednesday for for the first time since 1995, and apologized to the victims.
"We have concluded that we cannot deny that some of our officials at that time were involved in the incidents," including the subway attack, sect representative Tatsuko Muraoka said in a statement.
"I would like to apologize from my heart to those who fell victim and their families," she said.
The apology was released two days before the upper house of parliament was to pass legislation cracking down on the sect. Japan's lower house of parliament approved the legislation on November 18.
The law, which is clearly directed at Aum Supreme Truth despite not actually naming it, would allow authorities to ban donations to the cult and prevent it buying properties when necessary.
Deterring the cult from committing a deadly crime like the Sarin attack "is the purpose of the law," Obuchi said, adding that the government would do its utmost to secure public safety and property against the cult.
"We will take appropriate actions so that we won't see such a crime again," the premier said.
Aum Supreme Truth cult members, led by guru Shoko Asahara, shocked the world when they spread Nazi-invented Sarin gas in Tokyo's subway in March 1995, killing 12 people and injuring thousands.
But the cult escaped being outlawed under the Subversive Activities Prevention Act in January 1997 when a legal panel ruled there was no reason to believe it could still pose a threat to society.
Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, is on trial for 17 charges including murder in a lethal attack on Tokyo's subway.
The sect is facing a series of both criminal and civil cases, and some Aum members have already been found guilty, with courts meting out penalties ranging from the death sentence to prison and compensation payments.

TOKYO, Dec. 1 - The doomsday cult behind the deadly 1995 gassing in Tokyo's subway took responsibility today for a string of attacks and promised compensation, but victims' relatives dismissed it as a self-serving move.
"We now offer our sincere apology for the victims and their family members," acting Aum Shinrikyo leader Tatsuko Muraoka said in a statement, adding that the group will offer "as much compensation as possible." She declined to discuss details.
The group had not previously admitted its culpability in the sarin nerve gas attack that killed 12 and sickened thousands in March 1995. Former guru Shoko Asahara is on trial for masterminding at least 17 crimes, including the subway attack, and a number of cult members have been convicted or are still on trial on numerous charges.
"As a result of watching the progress of trials on the so-called Aum incident, we have reached the conclusion that we can't deny the fact that some members of our religious group were involved," Muraoka said.
A resurgence in the cult's activities, including recruiting and honoring Asahara, has set off protests across the nation, especially in towns where the cult has set up offices. The cult is believed to have 2,100 followers.
A bill under consideration in parliament would provide for the monitoring of groups that have committed mass murder, such as Aum. It could become law by the end of the year.
Muraoka called the bill "regrettable," saying it would "trespass on people's fundamental rights."
Under the law, Aum will be placed under surveillance and must report its activities every three months. Police will be able to inspect its facilities at any time.
Tomoyuki Ooyama, whose daughter, son-in-law and grandson were killed in 1989 when Aum attacked their home, was quoted as telling the Kyodo News agency that he suspects cult members made their statement to escape police surveillance under the new law.
"There were many chances to offer an apology in past years if they really wanted to do so," he said.
Teruo Itoh's son was killed five years ago in the cult's first sarin attack, in Matsumoto, 112 miles northwest of Tokyo. "It is too late to hear such an apology," he told Kyodo.

Japan's Aum Supreme Truth cult yesterday admitted for the first time some of its members were involved in a series of crimes, including the March 1995 sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway that killed 12 and injured more than 5,000, newspapers reported. Cult leader Tatsuko Muraoka apologized to the victims and their families and promised compensation, of which details were not disclosed. Government officials said the statement was aimed at softening legislation set to pass parliament as early as this week that will allow the government to limit activities of Aum and other cults, the reports said.
Former Aum leader Shoko Asahara is being tried on 17 criminal charges, including allegations he ordered the 1995 subway attack.

The Aum doomsday cult in Japan has publicly apologised for the first time for the 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway.
A number of cult members, including leader Shoko Asahara, have been convicted in connection with the attack, which killed 12 people and injured thousands.
"We now offer our sincere apology for the victims and their family members," cult spokeswoman Tatsuko Muraoka said in a surprise statement.
"As a result of watching the progress of court trials on a series of cases involving Aum Shinri Kyo (Supreme Truth Sect), we have come to the conclusion that we cannot deny that some of the sect followers at the time were involved in the incidents," she said.
Ms Muraoka added that Aum would make "as much compensation as possible" available, but did not provide details.
She also said the cult had set up a code of conduct, which demanded that its followers abide by the law.

Public pressure

The move comes two weeks after the Japanese parliament passed strict legislation against the sect.
But Ms Muraoka denied the apology was an attempt to protect the cult from being targeted under the new law.
"I understand that people may take our actions in such a way, but we truly want to settle the past crimes," she said, in an interview with Japan's commercial NTV television.
Bowing to fierce public pressure, the doomsday cult said in September it would close its branches, stop recruiting new members and cease using its current name.
But it had stopped short of offering a public apology.
BBC Tokyo correspondent Juliet Hindell says, however, that public fears of another attack are unlikely to be allayed.
"I will never accept it [the apology]," a spokesman for victims told NTV, adding that the cult could not be trusted.

Raids

Aum escaped being outlawed in January 1997 when a legal panel ruled there was no reason to believe it could still pose a threat to society.
In addition to trials related to the subway attack, its members are also involved in 16 other cases - including murder, attempted murder and the production of weapons and drugs.
Earlier on Wednesday, Japanese police raided another religious cult suspected of swindling members out of millions of dollars.
Police searched 74 facilities of Honohana Sanpogyo, which claims to tell people's destinies by reading the soles of their feet.
The group is facing more than 1,000 lawsuits from followers who say they were forced to give money to the cult.

TOKYO (AP) - The Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult today offered their first apology for a series of poison gas attacks, including a deadly assault on Tokyo's subways, and offered compensation to survivors.
``We now offer our sincere apology for the victims and their family members,'' acting leader Tatsuko Muraoka said in a statement, adding that Aum will make ``as much compensation as possible.''
She declined to discuss details regarding compensation.
Former guru Shoko Asahara is on trial for masterminding at least 17 crimes, including the Tokyo strike that killed 12 and sickened thousands in March 1995. The cult is believed to have 2,100 followers.
``As a result of watching the progress of trials on the so-called Aum incident, we have reached the conclusion that we can't deny the fact that some members of our religious group have involved,'' Ms. Muraoka said.
A resurgence in cult activities, including recruiting and honoring the guru, has set off protests across the nation, especially in towns where the cult has set up offices.
A bill under consideration in Parliament would provide for the monitoring of groups that have committed mass murder, such as Aum. It is expected to become law by the end of the year.
Ms. Muraoka called the bill ``regrettable,'' saying it would ``trespass on people's fundamental rights.''
Under the law, Aum will be placed under surveillance and must report its activities every three months. Police will be able to inspect its facilities at any time.

TOKYO, Dec. 1 (Kyodo) - The AUM Shinrikyo cult admitted for the first time Wednesday its culpability for a series of crimes, including the March 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.
In a statement issued by acting leader Tatsuko Muraoka, the cult acknowledged culpability and apologized to victims and their families.
In the statement, Muraoka also said AUM will provide as much compensation as possible to the surviving victims. She gave no specific compensation figures, however.
AUM issued the statement as a bill aimed at cracking down on the religious cult was set to pass through the Diet in a few days.
The bill is designed to crack down any organization that has committed ''indiscriminate mass-murder, including ones using sarin, during the past 10 years,'' in effect limiting its scope exclusively to AUM.
Muraoka criticized the legislation for what she described as human rights violations.
''The legislation infringes on basic human rights stipulated in the Constitution and is thus very regrettable,'' she said. ''We hope the law will not be adapted to our organization.''
Given the development of public hearings on a series of crimes for which former and incumbent AUM members are being charged, Muraoka said, ''It cannot be denied that some people connected with this religious group were engaged in the incidents.''
''It's deplorable that the incidents revealed in public hearings occurred. We want to apologize from the bottom of our hearts to the victims' families,'' she said in the statement.
Various AUM members have been convicted, or are still on trial, for numerous crimes including the 1995 subway gassing which killed 12 people and injured more than 5,000.
Muraoka also said in the statement the group will urge suspects in those cases who are still on the run to surrender to the police.
She said the group has established guidelines for its members which severely punish illegal acts in a bid to allay public anxiety, and added that senior group members will continuously instruct AUM followers to obey the rules.
But on a Nippon Television Network Corp. newscast Wednesday, Muraoka said the cult will only acknowledge that AUM founder Shoko Asahara committed criminal acts if he himself admits to them in court.
Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, is on trial for at least 17 crimes. His recent testimonies also indicate his involvement in a number of felonies.
''We will follow any decisions made by the court in accordance with Japanese laws,'' Muraoka said, but indicated that cult members will continue to revere Asahara as a religious leader.
The acting leader also said the cult will clarify the total amount of its assets and present its compensation policy for victims in January at the latest.
Although the group is believed to have profits of 7 billion yen a year from sales of personal computers, Muraoka brushed aside the possibility of using these earnings for victims' compensation, claiming that the AUM-affiliated people in the computer industry are ''former members of the group'' and that their activities are not connected with the cult.
As for Fumihiro Joyu, AUM's former spokesman who will be released from prison after serving a three-year jail term at the end of December, Muraoka expressed readiness to include him in the group's decision-making process, but said the group has not decided yet on the matter.
Joyu was convicted of perjury and forgery.
AUM, facing heightened criticism over its survival as a cult, announced in late September it will suspend all external activities and provisionally stop using its name.
Public security authorities took note of the statement and will continue to keep a watch on AUM's activities, officials said.
Tomoyuki Oyama, whose daughter was murdered by the cult, rapped the group's apology as being too late and demanded AUM be disbanded.

TOKYO, Dec. 1 (Kyodo) - The AUM Shinrikyo religious cult Wednesday admitted responsibility for a series of attacks, including the March 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.
In a statement issued by acting leader Tatsuko Muraoka, the cult acknowledged for the first time its culpability for the incidents and apologized to victims and their families.
Muraoka expressed AUM's intention to provide as much compensation as possible to the victims. She did not elaborate.
''It cannot be denied that some people related to this religious group were engaged in the incidents,'' given developments in the public hearings on a series of crimes for which former and current AUM members are allegedly responsible, she said.
''It's deplorable that the incidents revealed in public hearings occurred. We want to apologize from the bottom of our hearts to (victims') families,'' she said.
AUM announced in late September that it will suspend all its external activities and provisionally stop the use of its name. At that time, the cult did not apologize for the incidents.
Commenting on a proposed bill aimed at cracking down on AUM, Muraoka said, ''The legislation infringes on basic human rights stipulated in the Constitution and is thus very regrettable. We hope the law will not be applied to our organization.''
Although not specifically mentioning AUM, the bill gives authorities special powers to crack down on any organization that has committed ''indiscriminate mass murder, including ones using sarin, during the past 10 years,'' in effect limiting its scope exclusively to the cult.
Public security authorities took Wednesday's statement as a countermeasure by AUM against the legislation, and will continue to watch the cult's activities, officials said.
Various AUM members have been found guilty of, or are still on trial for, numerous crimes, including the 1995 subway gas attack, which killed 12 people and injured more than 5,000.
AUM founder Shoko Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, is currently on trial for at least 17 crimes.

TOKYO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A Japanese doomsday cult accused of a 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway made its first public apology on Wednesday for crimes committed by its members, as the government prepared to clamp down on its activities.
"As a result of watching the progress of court trials on a series of cases involving Aum Shinri Kyo (the Supreme Truth Sect), we have come to the conclusion that we cannot deny that some of the sect followers at the time were involved in the incidents," cult representative Tatsuko Muraoka said in a statement.
"It is truly regrettable that what has been revealed in court trials actually happened. In the meantime, we would like to make a heartfelt apology to those who were victims in the incidents and to their families," she said.
Bowing to public fierce pressure, the doomsday cult said in September it would close its branches, stop recruiting new members and cease using its current name, but it had stopped short of offering a public apology.
A number of Aum members, including leader Shoko Asahara, are on trial and have been convicted in connection with the gas attack that killed 12 and left thousands ill, as well as for 16 other cases including murder, attempted murder, and the production of weapons and drugs.
Muraoka said the cult will offer compensation to the victims of their crimes, adding that it has set up a code of conduct which demands that its followers abide by the law.
The apology came one day before bills aimed at curbing the group's activities are expected to be passed by Japan's Upper House of parliament. Already approved by the powerful Lower House, the bills do not directly name the cult but target activities of any group that has engaged in "indiscriminate mass murder" in the past 10 years.
Muraoka said in the statement that it was "regrettable" that a law which could infringe upon basic constitutional rights to religious freedom had been created because of their past deeds and said she hoped the law would not be applied to the cult.
But Muraoka said in a televised interview with private Japanese broadcaster NTV that the apology was not an attempt to protect the cult from being targeted under the new law.
"I understand that people may take our actions in such a way, but we truly want to settle the past crimes," she said.
The victims, however, did not appear convinced.
"I will never accept it (the apology)," said Hiroyuki Nagaoka, who represents a victims' group. Nagaoka told NTV that the cult could not be trusted.
Public pressure and police crackdowns on the cult have intensified recently in response to fears it could be staging a comeback. Civil rights activists, meanwhile, have voiced worries that the new legislation will give authorities powers that could end up being used to infringe on individual liberties.
Separately, in the biggest crackdown on a religious group since just after the Tokyo subway attack, police on Wednesday raided offices of a religious cult suspected of swindling three women out of thousands of dollars.