Japan: Call for Rescue at Amnesty International Seminar - Ms. Zhu Chunju Arrested and Sentenced to 6-Year Prison Term in China

At a seminar held by Amnesty International in central Japan on the afternoon of June 2nd, 2012, Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Reiko Nishimura called upon attendees to help rescue her mother Ms. Zhu Chunju, who has been illegally sentenced to six years in prison in China for practicing Falun Gong.

Ms. Reiko Nishimura started by expressing her gratitude to seminar attendees for all that they have done to rescue Ms. Zhu Chunju.

Ms Reiko then explained why her mother took up the Falun Gong practice. She said, “My hometown is in the countryside of China - Tianmenxiang Village, Fangzheng County, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. My mother, Ms. Zhu Chunju, suffered from many kinds of illnesses. My family was poor, so she couldn't afford to see a doctor, but she later began practising Falun Gong, after which all of her illnesses disappeared. That's why my mother has remained steadfast in her practice even though the persecution of Falun Gong continues in China.” She said that on August 16th, 2011, her mother was arrested by the local police for practising Falun Gong. She was held in a detention centre and illegally sentenced to six years in prison on November 3rd, 2011. Ms. Nishimura is worried about her mother's safety, and hopes that the Japanese government and kind-hearted people will help, and urge the Chinese Communist regime to release innocent Ms. Zhu Chunju as soon as possible.

After hearing Ms. Nishimura's introduction and appeal, attendees from Shizuoka Prefecture and Nagoya invited Ms. Nishimura to come to their Amnesty International chapters to raise awareness about her mother's situation. They also expressed hope that her mother would be rescued as soon as possible. Attendees wrote many postcards to Hu Jintao on the spot regarding Ms. Zhu's rescue.

Mr. Hideki Wakabayashi, executive director of Amnesty International Japan, and Ms. Kaori Shoji, director, made a special trip from Tokyo to Nagoya that same day, to attend the seminar.