Japanese symposium and protest march highlight widespread severe human rights violations going on for more than 50 years.
Tokyo, 28th October 2024 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
“Abduction and confinement are the greatest human rights violations since the war”
Symposium in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
By the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
Prepared by Knut Holdhus
A symposium on the theme of basic human rights and freedom of religion was held on 26th October 2024, in Hamamatsu City. The speakers argued that the abduction, confinement, and forced faith-breaking experienced by members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) are human rights violations that must not be ignored. The symposium was organized by the Shizuoka Prefecture Citizens’ Association for the Protection of Basic Human Rights and Freedom of Religion – represented by Tatsuya Matsushita (松下達也) – and was attended by over 200 people.
Non-fiction writer Masumi Fukuda ((福田ますみ) and Senior Pastor Haruhisa Nakagawa (中川晴久) of the Christian Church of the Lord’s Sheep (主の羊クリスチャン教会) gave keynote speeches. Fukuda pointed out, “Abduction and confinement are the greatest human rights violations since the war. Even though opponents exploit such cases as a business, the media does not report it at all.”
She continued her analysis, “The abduction and forcible detention of believers led to them becoming apostates [Editor’s note: persons who renounce a religious or political belief or creed] and making false statements in court.” Their false testimonies became the trigger for the request for a court order to dissolve the Family Federation.
Pastor Nakagawa explained, “As a result of the opposition spreading malicious propaganda, the Family Federation has been labeled a ‘cult’ and its social standing has been degraded. Furthermore, abduction and confinement are being justified under the pretext of escaping from a cult.”
He criticized that the issue of the Family Federation has become a tool for political maneuvering aimed at undermining the Abe faction. The then-Prime Minister Kishida assisted it with all his might to accomplish the agenda of the terrorist. Nakagawa expressed a sense of crisis, saying, “If this continues, Japan will be in great danger.”
The symposium was also attended by Tadashi Yoshimura (吉村正), who had come from Yamaguchi Prefecture. He has personal experience of abduction and confinement. Yoshimura stated that such acts constitute a denial of one’s legal personality.
Yoshimura declared, “As victims, we must speak out for freedom of religion and democracy.”
After the symposium, participants marched through downtown Hamamatsu, raising their voices to “protect basic human rights and freedom of religion.” Additionally, at the symposium venue, there was an exhibition of panels about the abduction, confinement, and forced renunciation of faith experienced by members of the Family Federation.
[Editor’s note: The phrase “denial of one’s legal personality” refers to an infringement on a person’s fundamental legal rights and status as an individual under the law. Legal personality is the recognition by the law that an individual has certain rights and responsibilities and can exercise these rights within a legal framework. When someone is abducted or confined against their will, their basic autonomy and capacity to make legal decisions – such as freedom of movement, freedom of association, and the ability to express religious beliefs – are severely restricted or completely denied.
In this context, Tadashi Yoshimura is emphasizing that his experience of abduction and confinement stripped him of these legal capacities, as he was deprived of the freedom to act as an autonomous legal subject. By calling it a “denial of one’s legal personality”, he underscores the severity of these actions, framing them as violations not just of personal freedom, but of the foundational rights guaranteed to individuals within a democratic society.]
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Featured image above: On 26th October 2024, Masumi Fukuda (福田ますみ) spoke about the reality of victims of abduction and confinement at Act City Hamamatsu in Chuo Ward, Hamamatsu City. Photo: Tsuyoshi Toyoda (豊田剛).