Fu Weitong works in Japan and practices Falun Dafa. Her mother Mao Jiaping, a practitioner who lives in Dalian, China was illegally arrested on June 2, 2021, and is still detained. Since her arrest, Ms. Fu and other practitioners in Japan have been raising awareness about the persecution in China through various means as well as calling for help to rescue Ms. Fu’s mother.

This April the COVID restrictions in various parts of Japan were gradually lifted. Since it’s also the annual cherry blossom festival, many people traveled to Sannomiya, the busiest area situated in downtown Kobe city the day practitioners held their activities. Many local residents and tourists stopped to read the display boards and took information to read. They signed the petition to call for the release of detained practitioners in China. Many people encouraged practitioners and told them to, “Keep up the good work.”

A Chinese citizen who lived and worked in Japan for 7 years decided to renounce his membership in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after learning the truth about the persecution.

Mr. Kamiura who lives in Nishinomiya city is in his 50s. He told practitioners he wanted to learn the exercises after signing the petition and asked for the addresses of practice sites near his home. He said that he knew Falun Dafa was good, because he spoke to practitioners years ago when he was in Taiwan. Now that he has returned to Japan, he wants to learn it.

Mr. Maeda from Akashi City signed the petition after practitioners told him about the brutal torture suffered by detained practitioners in China and the forced organ harvesting atrocities. He said, “Persecution of human rights should not be tolerated no matter where it takes place and has nothing to do with national boundaries. Taking organs without consent and selling them for profit should be expressly stopped. Although this is happening in China, oppression of freedom should not be allowed regardless of where it takes place.”

Another Japanese citizen who signed the petition told practitioners that a government like the CCP regime that persecutes its own citizens cannot last for long and that organ harvesting should be sanctioned internationally.

Because of the pandemic, most Japanese people pay attention to maintaining social distance (6 ft.) when interacting with others. Yet during the activities practitioners said they felt the kindness and sincerity of the people. Many people stopped to read the display boards. They asked questions about the persecution and signed the petition. They also encouraged practitioners, telling them they are courageous and must continue exposing the persecution.

Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide.

Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and learned the five gentle exercises have experienced uplifted health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 22 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.

Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organisation with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.