News
HRWF's report now available in Japanese
Since February 22nd, a Japanese translation of 'Japan: Abduction and Deprivation of Freedom for the Purpose of Religious De-conversion', a report by Human Rights Without Frontiers int´l, is now available on its website. Its English original was published on December 31st 2011 by this internationally-acclaimed human rights NGO as a result of its investigative efforts on kidnapping, confinement and forced deconversion in Japan.
<Japanese edition>
Japan: Abduction and Deprivation of Freedom for the Purpose of Religious De-conversion
http://www.hrwf.org/images/reports/2012/1231%20report%20final%20jap.pdf
<English edition>
Japan: Abduction and Deprivation of Freedom for the Purpose of Religious De-conversion
http://www.hrwf.org/images/reports/2012/1231%20report%20final%20eng.pdf
In a press release announcing the report, Mr. Aaron
Rose, international human rights expert and former Secretary General of the
International Helsinki Human Rights Federation, and Mr. Willy Fautre, director
of HRWF, harshly criticized Japan for its negligence over human rights
violations as follows:
"The facts that abduction victims were not protected
equally by law and that abduction perpetrators were never punished constitute
grave breach of Japan's constitutional rights and the international human
rights norms which Japan is supposed to abide by."
"It is utterly unacceptable that all the complaints against parents and deprogrammers were rejected on the ground of insufficient evidence for prosecution."
"If the authoriities display such rampant
negligence and unwillingness to punish criminals, Japan cannot claim to
guarantee freedom of religion."
HRWF, established in 1989 and headquartered in
Brussels, Belgium, is listed as one of the most authoritative human rights
organizations in Europe. Since its inception, it has focused on monitoring
human rights conditions, investigation as well as promotion of democracy and
rule of law. Earlier, it drew world attention by submitting 'Report on People's
Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea)' for the Universal Periodical Review
(UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2009. In the field of
religious freedom, it produced investigative reports on deprivation of
religious rights regarding draft rejection by members of the Jehovah's Witness
in South Korea as well as on China's suppression on Falun Gong followers. In
recent years it concentrates on subjects like religous freedom, human
traffickings, linguistical rights of minorities and children's rights.
"An American human rights organization which had
been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize twice, American Enterprize Institute
for Public Policy Research (AEI), issued a statement on January 2010 to the
Japanese government, the Diet, prosecutors, police and human rights
organizations, demanding an immediate action to halt the kidnapping and
confinement. With the latest report from an European body, West's authoritative
human rights organizations voiced together their concern and regrets about the
forced deconversion taking place in Japan.
Preparation of this report was inspired when Mr. Aaron Rose came to Japan in July-August 2010 as a participant of 'the European Leadership Conference and Fact Finding Tour' (organized by UPF), whose objectives included inquiry into human rights violation in Japan. At that time, he heard testimonies directly from some of the victims of abduction and confinement including Mr. Toru Goto who heads the Victims' Association.
Mr. Aaron Rose conveyed his findings of Japan to his
long-time associate, Mr. Willy Fautre, director of HRWF, which commenced the
investigation in earnest.
Thanks to independent investigations by the
third-party organizations, the issue of abduction, confinement and forced
deconversion in Japan is being recognized more widely. But such incidents are
still happening in Japan. We do hope that many more people can read the report
and help end this terrible human rights abuse.
Online information concerning HRWF and its director,
Willy Fautre, are available on the following sites:
１．On the Japanese website of an international non-profit organization 'United for Human Rights (UHR), HRWF is introduced as one of private organizations, together with well-known bodies such as Amnesty International, Children's Fund, Human Rights Center, Human Rights Watch, American Association to Enhance Colored People's Status, Simon Wizenthal Center. Please see below:
http://jp.humanrights.com/voices-for-human-rights/human-rights-organizations/non-governmental.html
２．Chinese Falon Gong followers are strongly
condemning China's human rights violations, especially in collecting living
body organs from their members (2009). In their website, Mr. Willy who heads
HRWF is introduced as promoting human rights and freedom of faith in the
communist nations since 1970s. See the below website:
http://www.minghui.jp/2009/12/23/mh255014.html
3. When the United Nations Human Rights Council
conducted the Universal Periodic Review over North Korea, HRWF, jointly with
North Korean Refugees Rescue Fund, submitted a pertinent report on April 20th
2009. It condemned that the North Korean regime did not protect its people's
basic human rights in politics, society and economy, strongly demanding its
further collaboration with the international community.
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~fe6h-ktu/topics090801.htm
4. After the South Korean government forcibly
deported Chinese Falon Gong followers out of South Korea to China, Mr. Willy
Fautre, head of HRWF criticized the South Korean government on September 20th
2011. Its video script is available on Youtube, in which Director Willy is
introduced as having invested a lot to improve human rights conditions in the
communist nations over the years.
5. HRWF investigated circumstances where members of
the Jehovah's Witness in South Korea had their rights for consciencious draft
refusal violated. It criticized the human rights situation in South Korea. See
the following site:
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/1914end/e/0554759d7d7fb6d2895eb17e0d031383
