(Clearwisdom.net) August 28, 2002, Falun Dafa Information Center --- To rescue Ms. Yoko Kaneko who was wrongfully sentenced to one and a half years in a forced labor re-education camp in China, Falun Gong practitioners in Japan started a signature drive at Nara City on August 24 and 25. Japanese people who signed the petition expressed their wishes that China would release Ms. Yoko Kaneko as soon as possible. At the same time, they expressed that the human rights violations occurring in China are inconceivable and intolerable.

On May 24, 2002, Ms. Yoko Kaneko was illegally arrested while she was distributing Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials in Beijing. At the end of June, without any trial, she was wrongfully sentenced to one and a half years in a forced labor re-education camp. On August 15, Yoko's husband, Mr. Atsushi Kaneko obtained permission to go to China to visit his imprisoned wife, Yoko. After he returned to Japan, Atsushi Kaneko confirmed that Yoko looked to have lost 10 kilograms, both of her wrists were black and blue, she was extremely weak and was not in her right mind. Mr. Atsushi Kaneko expressed his desperate concerns over his wife, who has been suffering various tortures and forced brainwashing.

To rescue Ms. Yoko Kaneko and have her return home as soon as possible, MP Hamachi Cho established "Hamachi Cho Support Committee to Rescue Yoko". On August 24 and 25, despite the hot weather, Falun Gong practitioners from Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Hiroshima introduced Falun Dafa to people and told the story of how Yoko was wrongfully imprisoned. The activity received broad support from the Japanese people. Some people got off their motorcycles to sign the petition. In some places, people even lined up to sign the petition.

During the signature drive, a Member of Parliament and the leader of the Democratic Party, an influential party in Japanese politics, were carrying out election-assisting activities in Nara. They signed the petition to express their support. Japanese people who were interviewed expressed their wishes that China would release Yoko Kaneko as soon as possible, and at the same time, they said that the human rights violations occurring in China were inconceivable and intolerable.

Recently, Canadian and Taiwan Falun Dafa Associations wrote to the Japanese government, Cabinet Premier Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, appealing to them that "Japanese government immediately support the rescue of Ms. Yoko Kaneko who is now suffering inhuman torture from the Chinese government and whose life is now in a desperate situation." They wished that Japanese government would base their response on humanitarian grounds, and through diplomatic approaches, help to end as soon as possible the human rights persecution that Ms. Kaneko is suffering in China and allow her return to her family in Japan.

The letter said, "What Ms. Kaneko has encountered truly portrays the Jiang Zemin regime's brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners."

"In the world over the past several centuries, the Jiang Zemin regime's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is another case of brutal and systematic human rights persecution through national resources and using the law as a tool, similar in many regards to Hitler's persecution of the Jews. "

The letter said, "We hope that the Japanese government will provide more concrete and effective humanitarian support and let this virtuous lady, Ms. Yoko Kaneko return to Japan and reunite with her husband as soon as possible."