Friday, May 11, 2012

Religious Kidnapping & Forced Conversion

victim Escapes from 120-day Confinement

A website “Religious Kidnapping & Forced Conversion” reported Ms.N.I.’s escape from 121-day confinement.  Here is a story of Ms N.I., translated by Yoshi - this blog’s owner.
Ms N.I. (34 years old, company employee) went missing on Jan 3, 2012 after visiting her parents.  Ms N.I. learned the Divine Principle in 1998 when she was a university student in Tokyo, and joined the Unification Church.  She informed her family of her faith.  She planned to attend the Unification Church Wedding Ceremony held in March 2012.  She belonged to Adachi Church in Tokyo when she went missing. 
Around 11:00am on May 2, 2012, she managed to escape by herself from the private prison in Mito-city, Ibaraki (70 km North East from Tokyo).

It was found out that Ms Kyouko KAWASAKI* who is a director of NPO “Home of Life” was involved in the “family discussion session”in the 121-day confinement. Also a person who claimed to be a Christian counselor visited the confinement site to provide mental care for Ms N.I.’s parents, and the person knew and accepted the Ms N.I.’s confinement.
According to Ms N.I., she was persuaded to do the followings;
·         To explain the Divine Principe to her family members
·         To give up attending the Church Wedding Ceremony in Korea
·         To re-consider her life after leaving the church
·         To listen to  ex-members and specialists
·         To learn other religions
·         To read materials which criticize the Unification Church

While she accepted the above demands, she kept her faith.  However, she felt like she had reached the limit in the endless confinement.  Also her family members became psychologically unstable.
One day, N.I. miraculously found out the combination of the numbers to unlock the lock which was installed on the front door.  She was determined to escape and waited for an opportunity.  Then the chance arrived, and she carried out her plan.
The pictures here are those actually fitted at the door of the confinement site.  She brought them with her when she escaped.
Ms N.I. took these with her in escaping.
   
Without unlocking the lock and
removing the cylinder,
the door can never be turned.




























Notes by Yoshi;
1. Kyouko KAWASAKI - She is a Christian minister who is actively involved in deprogramming in Japan. This lady was relating to Yukari's confinement in my previous article.

###

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ictim Escapes from 120-day Confinement

A website “Religious Kidnapping & Forced Conversion” reported Ms.N.I.’s escape from 121-day confinement.  Here is a story of Ms N.I., translated by Yoshi - this blog’s owner.
Ms N.I. (34 years old, company employee) went missing on Jan 3, 2012 after visiting her parents.  Ms N.I. learned the Divine Principle in 1998 when she was a university student in Tokyo, and joined the Unification Church.  She informed her family of her faith.  She planned to attend the Unification Church Wedding Ceremony held in March 2012.  She belonged to Adachi Church in Tokyo when she went missing. 
Around 11:00am on May 2, 2012, she managed to escape by herself from the private prison in Mito-city, Ibaraki (70 km North East from Tokyo).

It was found out that Ms Kyouko KAWASAKI* who is a director of NPO “Home of Life” was involved in the “family discussion session”in the 121-day confinement. Also a person who claimed to be a Christian counselor visited the confinement site to provide mental care for Ms N.I.’s parents, and the person knew and accepted the Ms N.I.’s confinement.
According to Ms N.I., she was persuaded to do the followings;
·         To explain the Divine Principe to her family members
·         To give up attending the Church Wedding Ceremony in Korea
·         To re-consider her life after leaving the church
·         To listen to  ex-members and specialists
·         To learn other religions
·         To read materials which criticize the Unification Church

While she accepted the above demands, she kept her faith.  However, she felt like she had reached the limit in the endless confinement.  Also her family members became psychologically unstable.
One day, N.I. miraculously found out the combination of the numbers to unlock the lock which was installed on the front door.  She was determined to escape and waited for an opportunity.  Then the chance arrived, and she carried out her plan.
The pictures here are those actually fitted at the door of the confinement site.  She brought them with her when she escaped.
Ms N.I. took these with her in escaping.
   
Without unlocking the lock and
removing the cylinder,
the door can never be turned.




























Notes by Yoshi;
1. Kyouko KAWASAKI - She is a Christian minister who is actively involved in deprogramming in Japan. This lady was relating to Yukari's confinement in my previous article.

###

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Post a Comment


Saturday, March 10, 2012

Young Unificationists Rally at University of Hawaii to Decry Faith-breaking in Japan

Young Unificationists Rally at University of Hawaii to Decry Faith-breaking in Japan


Young Unificationists of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) chapter at the University of Hawaii at Manoa held an event titled “Japan’s Hidden Shame” that addressed the abductions and illegal confinements of Unification Church members in Japan on March 7, 2012. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about faith-breaking, as over 4,000 adults in Japan have been victims of kidnapping and torture in the name of religious de-conversion since 1970. Organizers of the event also aimed to put political pressure on Japan’s government to act upon these human rights violations.






| MARCH 09 2012

The "Japan's Hidden Shame" event, which raised awareness about faith-breaking, was organized by the CARP chapter at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Young Unificationists of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) chapter at the University of Hawaii at Manoa held an event titled “Japan’s Hidden Shame” that addressed the abductions and illegal confinements of Unification Church members in Japan on March 7, 2012. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about faith-breaking, as over 4,000 adults in Japan have been victims of kidnapping and torture in the name of religious de-conversion since 1970. Organizers of the event also aimed to put political pressure on Japan’s government to act upon these human rights violations.

Second-generation Unificationist Takaaki Ito, a member of CARP Hawaii, opened the event by talking about the abductions still going on in Japan today. According to Ito, Japan’s traditional religious beliefs are rooted deeply in Buddhism and Shinto, and during the past 40 years, families have taken extreme measures to de-convert or “de-program” members of minority groups such as the Unification Church and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many families are often assisted by hired de-programmers, who include so-called exit counselors, Protestant pastors and former members of marginalized religions. There are even businesses that offer de-programming services for a price.

“The media has painted a bad image of these churches, and they are marginalized religions. Therefore, the police are afraid to do anything,” said Ito. “If it’s a family thing, [the police and media] step out. … That’s not a bad system, but it is being abused. Family is very important but in Japan, individual rights are not very respected, and it’s a problem.”

In order to regain their freedom, some victims fake de-conversion. Some are successfully de-converted, and some escape, as Toru Goto and Luke Higuchi were able to do. Victims have reported being beaten, starved and raped while in confinement. These crimes have been reported by victims after they regained their freedom, but very few cases have been won.
“The police, the courts, the media – say they don’t have enough proof to address these cases. But we have all the proof,” said Ito.

At the event, members from the Oahu Lovin’ Life Ministries sang a Japanese song in the spirit of supporting their brothers and sisters in Japan. Hawaii State Unification Church Pastor Rev. Ernie Ho welcomed those in attendance, and a video presentation followed, showing several testimonies of Japanese Unificationists who were victims of kidnappings at the hands of faith-breakers.

Three Japanese Unificationists took the stage to offer their testimonies as victims of forced de-conversion: Mrs. Kumiko Saito, a resident of Hawaii, who was abducted by her relatives but who eventually escaped, Mr. Toru Goto, who was confined and tortured by faith-breakers and family members for 12 years and Mr. Luke Higuchi, the founder and president of Survivors Against Forced Exit (SAFE).

Contributed by Emily Cornier and Kimberly Dickerson