Letter from Austrian Falun Dafa Association to Japanese Foreign Minister

In our letter to the Japanese embassy in Austria on August 12 2002, we expressed our concern about her case.

Mrs. Yoko Kaneko is married to Mr. Atsushi Kaneko, a 46-year-old Japanese businessman. Beijing police sentenced her to one and a half years in a labour re-education camp on June 24 for distributing Falun Gong-related materials on Beijing's streets in May. The sentence is a serious violation of the Chinese constitution and international human rights covenants that China has signed.

Falun Gong is a traditional meditation practise from China. It is based on the principles “Truthfulness, Compassion und Forbearance”, and has deep roots in ancient Chinese culture. In July 1999 Jiang Zemin’s Regime started a brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Since then, thousands of practitioners have been put in detention centres and in prisons. Up to date there are at least 461 practitioners who have died from torture and ill treatment, including old women and babies.

Mrs. Kaneko went to China to call on the Chinese authorities to stop the persecution. She tells the Chinese people the real story about the persecution and about Falun Gong. She tells the people what is “Truthfulness, Compassion und Forbearance”, and encourages the people in China who have to suffer in the persecution. She does it for justice, for the sake of humanity and for peace in our world.

And now Mrs. Kaneko is in danger. After her husband visited her in China, he confirms Mrs. Kaneko has been suffering severe torture and mistreatment.

Please raise the case of Mrs. Yoko Kaneko with the Chinese authorities during your visit in China, please help for her release.

Sincerely wish you to have a successful visit in China and best wish to all Japanese people,