Chizou Matsumoto
Chizou Matsumoto created the Aum Shinrikyo (Aum) otherwise know as the “supreme truth,” in 1987 which targeted Japan’s nation. Chizou was a former acupuncturist and yoga instructor who was partially blind. He proclaimed himself as a self-styled “one and only who has acquired supreme truth” and attributed to himself supernatural powers. Chizou then changed his name to Shoko Asahara. The Aum Shinrikyo has about 9,000 members in Japan and about 40,000 members worldwide, which are located in Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, U.S. and the former Yugoslavia.
Aum Shinrikyo together
The Aum Shinrikyo attacked the Tokyo subway station. Aum disguised 5 devices as a soft drink can, a brief case, a white plastic bag and a gas can wrapped in newspaper. These held a chemical nerve agent called Sarin. Aum placed them on Marunouchi, Shibuya and Chiyoda subway lines that were headed to Tokyo’s government centre, Kasumigaseki. The Sarin gas killed twelve people and caused six thousand to seek medical attention. In April 1990, Aum attacked the Japanese parliament with Botulinum toxin aerosol, Aum targeted the wedding of the Japanese crown prince in June 1993. Later that month, Aum also attempted to spray anthrax spores from the roof of a building in Tokyo. Luckily, there were no deaths from these attacks.
Aum Shinrikyo used terrorism because it’s aims were to take over Japan and then the world. Aum's organizational structure mimics that of a nation-state, with "ministries" and mock government departments. The Cults leaders control the followers with charismatic leadership. Aum Shinrikyo was approved as a religious entity in 1989 under Japanese law. Aum was active but unsuccessful in local Japanese elections in 1990. Aum was disbanded as a religious organization under Japanese law in October 1995, thus taking away the cult’s legal status and tax privileges as a religious organization.
The number of Aum followers is decreasing, but not disappearing. Since Aum was continuously attacking all over Japan, the media overlooked something. In June 1994, Aum released sarin gas in the town of Matsumoto 100 miles west of Tokyo. But as a result of inept policing and a feeding frenzy by the media to capture the story, a local resident named Yoshiyuki Kono—whose wife was severely handicapped in the incident—was publicly accused of the crime. One of the worst media offenders was the weekly magazine Shukan Shincho, which set the tone of the brief but vicious campaign of insidious innuendo about Kono’s family. After this terrible mishap, police are being a lot more careful. Police have arrested some members, but there are still many out there.
The current status of the Aum shinrikyo is a slowly disappearing state. Some are under surveillance, while others are being arrested. The victims are working with the Japanese authorities to over come the devastating attacks and terror the Aum Shinrikyo has caused. "When I look at the way Aum operates," a onetime classmate in Kumamoto said, "I think Matsumoto is trying to create a closed society like the school for the blind he went to. He is trying to create a society separate from ordinary society in which he can become king of the castle."
Sites:
http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/rinvol4no1/aum_shinrikyo.htmhttp://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_aum.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982749-2,00.html
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rpt/fto/2801.htm
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982749,00.html#ixzz1WSCKU6zo
Pictures:
http://people.uwec.edu/piercech/Bio/Pictures/Aum%20Shinrikyo%20Cult.jpg
http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00639/en/h_tokyoattack.html
Aum Shinrikyo used terrorism because it’s aims were to take over Japan and then the world. Aum's organizational structure mimics that of a nation-state, with "ministries" and mock government departments. The Cults leaders control the followers with charismatic leadership. Aum Shinrikyo was approved as a religious entity in 1989 under Japanese law. Aum was active but unsuccessful in local Japanese elections in 1990. Aum was disbanded as a religious organization under Japanese law in October 1995, thus taking away the cult’s legal status and tax privileges as a religious organization.
The number of Aum followers is decreasing, but not disappearing. Since Aum was continuously attacking all over Japan, the media overlooked something. In June 1994, Aum released sarin gas in the town of Matsumoto 100 miles west of Tokyo. But as a result of inept policing and a feeding frenzy by the media to capture the story, a local resident named Yoshiyuki Kono—whose wife was severely handicapped in the incident—was publicly accused of the crime. One of the worst media offenders was the weekly magazine Shukan Shincho, which set the tone of the brief but vicious campaign of insidious innuendo about Kono’s family. After this terrible mishap, police are being a lot more careful. Police have arrested some members, but there are still many out there.
The current status of the Aum shinrikyo is a slowly disappearing state. Some are under surveillance, while others are being arrested. The victims are working with the Japanese authorities to over come the devastating attacks and terror the Aum Shinrikyo has caused. "When I look at the way Aum operates," a onetime classmate in Kumamoto said, "I think Matsumoto is trying to create a closed society like the school for the blind he went to. He is trying to create a society separate from ordinary society in which he can become king of the castle."
Sites:
http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/rinvol4no1/aum_shinrikyo.htmhttp://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_aum.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982749-2,00.html
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rpt/fto/2801.htm
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982749,00.html#ixzz1WSCKU6zo
Pictures:
http://people.uwec.edu/piercech/Bio/Pictures/Aum%20Shinrikyo%20Cult.jpg
http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00639/en/h_tokyoattack.html
