Japanese authorities yesterday decided to put the doomsday cult accused of the 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system under government surveillance, using new laws aimed at cracking down on the group's activities.

The laws, passed by parliament in December in response to fears the cult was making a comeback, do not specify Aum Shinri Kyo by name but target the activities of any group which has engaged in "indiscriminate mass murder" in the past 10 years.

The move comes two days after the cult, which recently changed its name to Aleph, announced it will resume activities such as recruiting new members to raise money to pay compensation to the victims of the nerve gas attack, which killed 12 and injured thousands. Japan's Public Security Examination Commission said yesterday it decided to place Aum under surveillance for three years.

(China Daily 2000/02/01)