Practitioners in Japan Start Signature Drive to Rescue Yoko Kaneko

To rescue Falun Gong practitioner Luo Rong (Japanese name: Yoko Kaneko), wife of Atsushi Kaneko, who was illegally sentenced to one and a half years of "re-education through labour" in China, Falun Dafa practitioners in Japan launched a signature drive in Nara City on August 24 and 25, 2002.

Poster calling for signatures to rescue Yoko Kaneko	Banner calls for support from local parliament to rescue Yoko Kaneko
Leader of Democratic Party signs to support the rescue campaign

Practitioners from Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Hiroshima clarified the truth to the people under the hot sun and collected signatures that called on the Japanese government to help rescue Yoko Kaneko. The people of Nara and nearby areas were very warm-hearted and willing to sign their names. Some people got off their motorcycles to sign. Sometimes, people stood in line to wait to sign. The practitioners were also very busy. They felt everyone’s compassionate side and understood the meaning of our work. It was as if people were waiting for us to clarify the truth and introduce Falun Dafa to them.

When we had the signature drive, the local Nara TV station interviewed the practitioners and broadcasted a positive news program that evening. The FGM TV station also randomly interviewed some people who signed their names. They all expressed their wishes that China should release Yoko Kaneko as soon as possible and believed that human rights violations in China were not understandable and intolerable.

Coincidentally, the leader of the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, and another Member of Parliament were having an election tour at Nara. After they talked to our practitioners, they gladly signed their names.