At its meeting on March 31, 1949, the Far Eastern Commission recommended to its eleven member governments that investigation of suspected Japanese war criminals accused of offenses falling under paragraphs 1b and 1c of the policy decision of the FEC entitled “Apprehension, Trial and Punishment of War Criminals in the Far East,” approved by the Commission on April 3, 1946, be completed before June 30, 1949, and that all trials resulting from the investigations be concluded, if possible, before September 30, 1949. The offences referred to included violations of the laws or customs of war, or murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation or other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population, or prosecutions on political, racial or religious grounds. On March 16, 1949, the Commission had announced the termination of investigations of offences under paragraph 1a.