Rally to Protest Human Rights Violations in Japan

Thousands of people joined the rally held on Dec.3, 2010 throughout Japan to protest unlawful kidnapping and forced conversion.  In Tokyo, 3200 people attended the event and had demonstration towards the Diet. The organizer presented a petition to the Diet. Similar events were held in all of the 47 prefectures on the same day.

More details here on Yahoo News:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20101206/pl_usnw/DC12823_1

http://ratikan2010.blog134.fc2.com/
The rally in Osaka

 

http://www.ucjp.org/?p=4756
The rally in Tokyo

xxx

Human Rights Event at the University of Washington, USA

The Daily of the University of Washington reports a human rights event held at its campus on Nov.20, 2010 (Sat).

Read more details here.
http://dailyuw.com/2010/11/22/uw-student-group-raises-awareness-japanese-religio/


Added on Dec. 5, 2010
The videos of the event have been uploaded in the Youtube.

Part#1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56zwVtT9Ago

Part#2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhsMSjLmKE8&feature=related

Parts#3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3BM4PTdQcI&feature=related

xxx

Video - New York Rally on Nov 16, 2010

The video on New York Rally held in front of the Japanese Consulate on Nov 16, 2010 has been uploaded in the following website.

http://vimeo.com/17010936

You can see and hear Rev. Luonne Rouse, Archibishop George A. Stallings, other Christian ministers as well as 2 Japanese lady victims speak strongly in front of the Japanese Consulate in New York.

US Deparment. of State - International Religious Freedom Report 2010

2010 version of International Religious Freedom Report was published by US Department of State on Nov 17, 2010.

The Department of States' Religious Freeedom report is published every year.  In the past years, only a few lines were used for the deprogramming activities in Japan. 

In the Japan Section this year, it states as follows;

---------------------------------------------------------------
Quotes from http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148871.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------
Forced Religious Conversion

The Unification Church reported some adherents were pressured by family members and professional deprogrammers to leave the church.

Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom

Although most groups report wide-spread tolerance and respect for religious freedom there were some reports of societal abuse based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice.

For several years deprogrammers working with family members have reportedly abducted Unification Church members, members of Jehovah's Witnesses, and other minority religions. The Unification Church and Jehovah's Witnesses-affiliated organization Watchtower report the number of cases has declined sharply over the last 10 years. However the Unification Church reported five members were abducted during the reporting period. These reports could not be independently confirmed, and some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have accused the Unification Church of exaggerating or fabricating these reports.

In 2008 an adult member of the Unification Church was released after reportedly being held against his will by family members and a professional deprogrammer for over 12 years. Prosecutors did not pursue the case citing insufficient evidence. The case was on appeal at the end of the reporting period.
---------------------------------------------------------------

US Department of State URLs

International Religious Freedom Report 2010 - Japan
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148871.htm

International Religious Freedom Report 2010 - All Nations
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/

The 2009 Report (See page 764 - 766 for Japan report)
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/140693.pdf

###

Demonstrations in 10 Major US Cities

On Nov. 16, 2010, Human rights activists, religious leaders and victims held demonstrations in front of Japanese consulate general in 10 major US cities to demand Japan to stop religious kidnapping/confinement. Some Japanese victims who live in the US spoke in the event. 

More details here.
http://www.familyfed.org/news/index.php?id=193&page=1&apage=1

A 33 year old lady disappeared after she had a lunch with her parents.

3 Unification Church members are believed to be confined against their will at the moment. I write about Ms MY (33) today.  (Please click on the link below for the Mr.NK and Ms OM's cases.)

1. NK (Male, 25, Tokyo) since June 14, 2010
2. OM (Female, 27, Abeno-ku, Osaka) since August 14, 2010
3. MY (Female, 33, Osaka) since September 13, 2010

Before the disappearance on Sep 13, 2010, she was held under house arrest for 21 days in June 2010.  She was asked to visit parents' house to participate in the family event to make rice cake on Jun 21, 2010.  Upon her arrival, Ms MY was forcefully grabbed by her sister's husband, and taken to the house arrest location.  She went to work from there. 

She was threatened by her father that he would commit suicide if she escaped.  She was allowed only to go to work.  She said even if she had freedom to go out (to go to work), it was mentally confinement.

It took 21 days before the release. She tried to convince her father that she should be released.  After the release, she suffered mental disorder and she had to take leave from her work. She was being treated by psychosomatic medicine specialists at the time of Sep. 13 disappearance.

After the release her father attended the church event, and they had a lunch together.

On Sep 13, 2010, Ms MY and her parents had a lunch together at 1pm. She was going tell her parents that she'll attend the church wedding.  At 5pm, a man (he said he's father of MY) called church leader saying, "We are discussing now.  She'll return tomorrow." then the line was cut.

The church leader contacted her workplace, and was told that her father contacted them already and asked for leave until the end of the year.

Since then, there's no further information on Ms MY.

There are some similarities with other kidnapping.
1. Parents tried to make the victim feel safe by attending the church event.
2. Parents contacted the victim's work place.


2 months have passed since the disappearance.  As she was already suffering mental disorder from the previous house arrest, there's high risk of having PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Reference - Japanse URLs
http://ratikan2010.blog134.fc2.com/blog-entry-66.html

History & Updates of Confinement

More information will be added to this page as more articles are updated in this blog.

This page is accessed by pressing "Updates" in the label from right hand side menu.

The date format in this page is yyyy-mm-dd.

Confinement Updates (As of 2010-11-17)

There was information that Ms MY(33) returned to the original church community. No details availale for the security reason at the moment.  Number of people confined has been reduced to 2 from 3.

1. Mr.NK (25) Tokyo, Since 2010-06-14
2. Ms OM (27) Osaka, Since 2010-08-14



History of Confinement 2010

2010-06-14 Mr.NK disappeared, still in confinement.
2010-08-13 Ms HM kidnapped, 2010-10-06 Released after 54 days of the confinement.
2010-08-13 Mr.MK kidnapped, 2010-10-29 Escaped from the confinement.
2010-08-14 Ms OM disappeared, still in confinement.
2010-09-13 Ms MY(33) disappeared, 2010-11 Returned to the church


History of Confinement 2009

History of Confinement 2008

History of Confinement 2007

History of Confinement 2006







History of Confinement 2005

History of Confinement 2004

History of Confinement 2003

History of Confinement 2002

History of Confinement 2001

History of Confinement 1999

History of Confinement 1998

History of Confinement 1997

1997-03-09 Ms Takako FUJITA kidnapped, 1997-07-12 Committed suicide in the confinement.

History of Confinement 1996

History of Confinement 1995

History of Confinement 1994

History of Confinement 1993

History of Confinement 1992

History of Confinement 1991

History of Confinement 1990

History of Confinement 1989

History of Confinement 1988

History of Confinement 1987

History of Confinement 1986

History of Confinement 1985

Takako took her own life during confinement. No Comment from the deprogrammer.

The deprogramming in Japan is the crime behind closed doors.  Unless they escape from the confinement and speak up, no one would know what happened in the closed doors.  In today's article, the victim could not speak up, but this is the real story which occurred in 1997. 

Confinement Data:
Victim: Ms. Takako FUJITA
Date Kidnapped: March 9, 1997
Place Kidnapped:  Parents home in Ehime (in Shikoku Island)
Place of Confinement: Kyoto
Deprogrammer: Takeo FUNADA, Minister - Kyoto Seito Church of Jesus Christ Church in Japan

Ms. Takako FUJITA was born on July 5, 1970 in Ehime in Shikoku Island.  She joined the Unification Church in 1989 when she was a University student in Kyoto.  After graduation, she got a job at a welfare institution for the physically disabled. 

On August 25, 1995, She married Mr. Lee, a Korean man at the Wedding Ceremony of the Unification Church.   Then, in Dec. 1996, she moved to Korea to join Mr. Lee.

On Mar 9, 1997, she made a homecoming visit to her parents house, but she was kidnapped by her parents and transferred to Kyoto for the deprogramming process.

On Mar.15, 1997, Mr. Lee came to Japan to find her.  He stayed for 10 days, but no leads found.

On May 21, 1997, Mr. Lee came back to Japan, and re- visited the Niihama Police.  The police didn’t do much other than to call Takako’s father’s work place.  The police said, “You should ask Korean Police as the person lived in Korea before missing.  Didn’t she leave Korea because she didn’t like Korea? ”  Mr. Lee  had to return to Korea on May 24th.

Takako had her 27th birthday on July 5, 1997 in the confinement.   Almost 4 months passed since the kidnapping.  On July 15, a shocking news of Takako’s funeral was delivered from Takako’s father’s work place. 

The Unification Church Head office contacted the Police, and the Police confirmed that Takako hung herself in the bathroom of the apartment where she was confined in the morning on July 12, 1997.  She was transferred to the  Nishijin Hospital by an ambulance, but announced dead in the early morning on the following day, July 13, 1997. 


It was found that a Christian church minister, Takeo FUNADA, Kyoto Seito Church of Japan Jesus Christ Church was involved in this deprogramming.  The minister, Takeo FUNADA said, “I have no intention to comment.”

If the police assisted the Korean husband to find his wife's whereabouts, and if the police confirmed Takako's situation and protected her, this tragedy would not have happened.

The minister involved in this case is Takeo FUNADA of Kyoto Seito Church, Japan Jesus Christ Church.  13 years have already passed, but he still needs to explain.

Photo:On Sunday, Oct 17, 2010, around 120 people participated in a demonstration.  They marched in front of the Takeo FUNADA's church. 
(photo by http://ratikan2010.blog134.fc2.com/blog-entry-82.html ) 

Reference -  Japanese URLs
http://ratikan2010.blog134.fc2.com/blog-entry-82.html
http://yonemoto.blog63.fc2.com/blog-entry-214.html

Reference - English URLs
http://www.familyfed.org/news/index.php?id=147&page=5
http://vimeo.com/16325762

Reference - Book (Japanese)
Nippon Shuuyousho Rettou by Gentaro Kajikuri

27 year old Lady Disappeared 3 Months Ago.

3 Unification Church members are believed to be confined against their will at the moment.

1. NK (Male, 25, Tokyo) since June 14, 2010
2. OM (Female, 27, Abeno-ku, Osaka) since August 14, 2010
3. MY (Female, 33, Osaka) since September 13, 2010
 
I write the OM's case today.  (See the previous article for NK's case)

In Japan, the middle of August is the Bon season, which is the Buddhist custom to honor the deceased spirits of the family's ancestors, therefore the season has become a family reunion holiday time.

In the early August, OM (female, 27) was offered by her parents to visit her Grandfather (father's father)'s house during the Bon season together with her parents.  She accepted the offer.  They stayed at her mother's mother's house in Osaka on Aug.13 before the planned visit to her grandfather's place which is the distacne of 2-3 hours drive from there. Around 3pm on Aug 13, OM sent an email to the church, saying she is going to the Grandmother's home now.

At 11:17am next day, 14 Aug, the church leader received a distress call from her, screaming, "No, No, I don't want it."  Followed by man's voice (it seems it's her father's voice.) "I beg you.  I beg you." Then the line was cut off. The church leader dialled the number, but no answer.

At 2:21pm, the church leader received a call on his mobile from a man.  He said,"I just let you know that we 3 people, parents and a daughter will have a discussion for a while." Then he hang up. He said he was a father of OM.

At 3:40pm, the church leader visited the parents' home in Osaka, to find out that they already had moved out.  The owner of the apartment said that we were notified of the moving a month ago, and they moved out a few days ago. There was a note at the water mains, telling water supply was stopped on Aug 9, 2010.
 
In this kidnapping case, it looks that it was planned and organized very well at least for a few months, and parents moved to a place where the daughter or the church didn't know, so her whereabouts were not identified easily.  Also if the daughter is confined at the parents (new) home, it's easier to deceive police investigation and to cover up the fact of confinement than using a newly rented apartment for the confinement.

Same as other deprogramming cases in the past, there must be someone (deprogrammers) behind this disappearance case who wrote a plan and told parents what to do. There were 3 or 4 known deprogrammers in the Osaka area.

3 months have passed since the OM disappearance, and no further details not known.

Yoshi

Reference -  Japanese URLs
http://ratikan2010.blog134.fc2.com/blog-entry-26.html
http://yonemoto.blog63.fc2.com/blog-entry-222.html

NK's Case (2): Police Failed to Respond to Serious Human Rights Abuses Case.

Continued from NK's Case (1)
--------------------------------

NK's fiancee decided to do anything she could do to rescue her fiance from the confinement, and her lone fights began. 

On July 29, 2010, she was in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Head Office, and handing out leaflets to passersby, thanking them for support.



NK's fiancee handing out leaflets
in front of the Police Head Office
 at Kasumigaseki, Tokyo.
(Photo by Sekai Nippo)

The small leaflet says:

One and half months have passed since my beloved fiance suddenly disappeared from me.  The reason of his disappearance was believed due to our faith.  Is it wrong to have faith in Japan which guarantees the religious freedom?  Is it allowed for someone to break his faith by force and tear our love apart.  Isn't this a criminal act?

Those who kidnapped and confined my fiance may be saying, "We are safe because the Chief Commissioner  is backing us."   Then they repeat the same crimes without getting worried to be be in jail. 

Dear Mr. Chief Commissioner, please get me back my small happiness.  Please let me have my right to be happy.




She wrote a letter to wherever she could think of  - such as human rights organizations, journalists, government offices, lawyers associations etc. and even visited them to ask for help.  She received a call from the Religious Affairs Division of the Cultural Affairs Agency.  They said to her, "It is highly suspicious of human rights violations relating to the kidnapping and confinement.  We can take your report, but we have no power to intervene your case at our position."

She was so desperate that she sent a letter to Mrs. Hilary Clinton, US Secretary of State and John V. Roos, US Ambassador to Japan.  She made a call to US Embassy to ask for their support.  The 2009 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom published by US Department of State shows concern of the deprogramming activities towards the Unification Church members in Japan.  (Click on the above link and see page 766)

The NK's fiancee appears in the SBS 1 hour TV program.  (At the time of 45:40 of the Video) She says she received a letter from her fiance after 2 month of his disappearance.  The letter says, "I want to completely call off our relationship.  I don't want to see you, no need to meet.  Even if we met, I don't think the matter would be solved."

Her fiance, NK is still held in confinement.  No one knows where and how he is at the moment except for his parents and the deprogrammer.  Almost 6 months have passed since he disappeared.  If this occurred today in America or Europe, Police would search the missing person and would confirm the person's will directly, and if the person is found confined against his/her will, the person is protected by the authority and captors are charged.  But this would not happen in Japan.

On Oct 12, 2010, Dr. Luonne Rouse, a United Methodist Church Pastor made a speech in front of the Japanese Consulate in New York, "The Japanese government is turning a blind eye to this persecution.  It's time to stop the abductions and free the victims. We must protest religious freedom and human rights. We as clergy have been working on the continued human rights and religious freedom abuses that are going on in Japan. We are shocked that a good friend and ally of America, that is a modern democratic society, would continue to allow the abduction and forced confinement of adult men and women against the fundamental principles of freedom of religion that Japan is supposed to uphold."

This is only one of the 4300 cases which have occurred in the past 40 years in Japan.  There are 2 more people who are believed to be confined against their will at this time.  This blog will reveal what you may not have heard before.

Yoshi

Reference -  Japanese URLs
http://www.worldtimes.co.jp/special2/ratikankin/100805.html

Reference - English URLs
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/140693.pdf
http://www.familyfed.org/news/index.php?id=177&page=1&apage=1
http://vimeo.com/16325762

NK's Case (1): Believed to be Confined Since June 14, 2010

There are 3 Unification Church members missing at the moment, believed to be confined against their will in an attempt to break their faith and marriage. 

I would like to write Mr. NK's disappearance and how Japanese police handled this case.

- Name of the person disappeared:  Mr. NK (Unification Church member)
- Age:  25 years old Male,  City: Tokyo
- Date disappeared: June 14, 2010
- Deprogrammer:  Takashi MIYAMURA

His fiancee (also a member of Unification Church) appears almost at the end of the SBS TV program as Misako (A young lady who speaks both Japanese and Korean fluently.)

They were engaged in Sep 2009.   As a normal couple, they used to date, and used to talk every night over the phone to discuss how the day was.  They were just loving couple, taking care each other.  They talked for 20 minutes at the night of June 13, 2010, and exchanged words of love over the phone.  Mr. NK suddenly disappeared from her. NK lived with his parents before the disappearance.

June 14, 2010
She called him on his mobile, but only accessed the message bank, which was very unusual, and made her wonder how he was.  She rang his work.  She was told that his father called and he was admitted to a emergency hospital.  She visited his house, but it looked no one was there and no car in the garage.  Someone came to feed the fish, saying I was asked to take care of the fish during their family trip.  She contacted the company where his father worked.  He was on leave. 

June 15, 2010
His fiancee visited Suginami Police Station.  They promised that they do their best to watch over his house and to look for him.  She explained the possibility of the religious forced de-conversion.  Police said, "No worries."


A Week Later

Police:  We were able to contact his parents, and found out where they were.  Parents said NK is in the place where he is free to go out/in.  We could not contact Mr NK directly, but there's no possibility of criminal case.  It's a discussion session between parents and a son.

Fiancee:  Please take me there if he's in the place where he is free to go out or in.

Police:  Please calm down.  Trust police.  We are confirming his will.


Later (Accompanied by a Lawyer)

Police:  The parents and a son are having an important discussion

Fiancee:  Have you confirmed NK's will?

Police:  No, we have not.

Fiancee:  It's strange.  You promised that you would confirm his will.  Please confirm his will.

Police:  We don't think it necessary.  We don't accept a protest.  Please leave.

Lawyer: We just want you to confirm his will.

Police:  If you are so confident, better to find him on your own.
Then the police cut off the conversation.

The fiancee contacted the police later, but the police repeated the same.

The Sekai Nippo (Daily Newspaper) contacted the police on July 29, 2010 which was 45 days after his disappearance.

Sekai Nippo:  His fiancee is extremely worrying.

Police:  We have not investigated as there's no possibility of criminal case.

Sekai Nippo: Then you have confirmed his whereabouts or protected him?

Police:  No, we don't know his whereabouts.

Sekai Nippo: Isn't it contradictory if you don't know where he is now after 45-day disappearance.

Police:  We don't comment on that.  Please contact public relations department of the head office.

The Sekai Nippo contacted the Public Relations Dept. of the Metropolitan Police.  They said, "We contact you later even though we don't know if we accept your interview." The Sekai Nippo did not receive their reply from the Police before printing deadline which was 3rd day from the initial contact.

----- Same topic will continue next -----

Today's article is based on the following Japanese websites:
http://yonemoto.blog63.fc2.com/blog-entry-183.html#more
http://yonemoto.blog63.fc2.com/blog-entry-201.html#more
http://www.worldtimes.co.jp/special2/ratikankin/100803.html

SBS (Korean TV Netwrok) program

The deprogramming operations in the US or Europe ceased in 1980s when the deprogrammers such as Ted Patrick found themselves in jail.

In Japan, 4300 Unification Church members have been victimized by this deprogramming practice (kidnapping, confinement and forced de-conversion) since 1966.

Extreme tactics have been used, including kidnapping, confinement to prison like room for a long term, sleep deprivation, psychological abuse, sexual harassment (even rape), starvation and so on. Deprogramming is a violation to the basic human rights.  Japanese authorities turn a blind eye to such human rights violations.

This website would reveal the hidden secrets of the deprogramming operations in Japan. 

Today I would like to introduce a TV program which was produced and aired on Oct 6, 2010 in Korea by SBS TV network.   The program investigates the deprogramming  pracitce in Japan, trying to interview both deprogrammers and victims.  Please click on the link below.

http://vimeo.com/16325762