TOKYO - The Japanese ambassador to Peru, whose fighting spirit helped his 70 fellow hostages for four months in Lima, announced his resignation yesterday to the Japanese parliament. Mr Morihisa Aoki was apparently bowing to public pressure to take responsibility for the hostage crisis at his residence in Lima. That episode ended on April 22nd when Peruvian soldiers stormed the residence, rescued all the hostages but one, and killed all 14 rebels. Two commandos died in the siege.
After his return to Japan on April 28th, Mr Aoki was summoned to the parliament amid criticism of his handling of the crisis and of his lax security management on December 17th, when rebels of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement took as hostages more than 500 guests at a reception honouring the Japanese emperor.