By REUTERS

              LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Peru on Monday said it would insist former
              President Alberto Fujimori, in self-exile in Japan, be tried in Lima on charges
              of human rights abuse following reports Japan might try Fujimori.

              ``Japan's willingness to try Fujimori in Japan, I believe is an improvement
              from the original position where Japan practically gave Fujimori total
              immunity ... but as Peru's government we have to insist (he) be tried in Peru,''
              Prime Minister Roberto Danino told RPP radio.

              President Alejandro Toledo, in China for an Asia Pacific Economic
              Cooperation group summit, met with Japanese

              Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi over the weekend and asked him to hand
              over Fujimori, Japanese officials said.

              But according to Peruvian newspaper reports, Koizumi said Fujimori could
              instead be tried by Japanese courts as a Japanese citizen.

              Fujimori, who ruled Peru with an iron fist for a decade from 1990, has been
              charged with responsibility for human rights violations. He denies any
              wrongdoing.

              He fled to Japan last November at the height of a corruption scandal
              sparked by his influential top aide Vladimiro Montesinos and was fired as
              ``morally unfit.''

              Toledo's government, which took office in July, has not yet made a formal
              extradition request, but insists that Fujimori would receive a fair trial here.

              ``Any crimes he committed were carried out in Peru, under Peruvian law and
              as Peru's president,'' Danino added.

              But Japan has maintained it will not yield to extradition because of Fujimori's
              dual Japanese-Peruvian citizenship.

              ``(Fujimori) was using his Peruvian nationality and so Japan's position has no
              legal sustenance. They are just trying to maintain an immunity that is
              unacceptable for Peruvians,'' Justice Minister Fernando Olivera told
              reporters.