Japan: Falun Dafa Association in Japan Writes to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Calling for Urgent Rescue of Yoko Kaneko

August 9, 2003

Shiba Koen 2-11-1,

Minato-ku,

Tokyo 105-8519 Japan

Honourable Foreign Minister Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi

Dear Madam,

Yoko Kaneko, the wife of Atsushi Kaneko of Niigata County, is a dedicated practitioner of a Chinese traditional Qigong system - Falun Gong. Last year, while introducing this system to the people in Beijing, clarifying the truth about the persecution of the practitioners by the Chinese government, and at the same time calling for a stop to such brutality, she was arrested with no explanation. At present, she is imprisoned and is being treated with extreme cruelty. Last year, her husband Mr. Atsushi Kaneko managed to meet her in prison in Beijing. He was shocked to find her in such a deplorable condition as a result from being tortured.

This was how he narrated the situation: "I was astonished to find my wife a completely changed person, compared with when she was in Japan. Not only had she lost weight, she seemed to have suffered severe mental trauma as well. When she spoke to me, she could not keep up her concentration. Furthermore, from information obtained, she had been put through mental and physical torture that is difficult to explain in words. If this is allowed to continue, one can't imagine how she could survive the 15 months' of imprisonment she was sentenced to." (Quoted from the letter of petition to The Foreign Minister by Mr. Kaneko, August 25, 2002.)

From the news that has recently appeared on the Internet, the continual persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese government has brought more deaths, and the number is increasing daily. The methods they have used in the torture are extremely cruel, and have driven the victims to irreparable mental states and their family members to misery.

Jiang, the former leader of China, initiated this persecution. Because of his resentment, jealousy and mistrust, he has involved the media nationwide in propaganda against Falun Gong, and the police force in unlawful activities against the practitioners. In particular, abduction, imprisonment and tortures have been carried out illegally throughout the country. The lives of many innocent people are now in jeopardy, and we cannot delay any longer.

As the Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing of China, is visiting Japan, we sincerely ask the Honourable Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, to honour the human rights of our Japanese citizens, open dialogue with the Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and demand an immediate release of Yoko and for the Jiang regime to stop persecuting Falun Gong.

Falun Dafa Association of Japan