BEIJING, Nov 30 (AFP) – Amnesty International on Saturday issued
an appeal on behalf of a Japanese-based follower of the Falun Gong
spiritual group detained in China, warning she was seriously ill and
could have been tortured.
Yoko Kaneko, 37, a Chinese citizen formerly known as Luo Rong
who moved to Japan several years ago, had reportedly been
hospitalised for high blood pressure, the rights group said.
There were “serious concerns” that Kaneko, who was sentenced to
18 months in a labour camp in June, according to her family, might
not receive adequate care, the London-based group said in a
statement.
“According to reports, (Kaneko) has bruising around her wrists
and has lost a lot of weight, indicating that she may have been
tortured or ill-treated whilst in the labour camp,” it said.
Amnesty also said that Kaneko’s elder sister, Luo Zhen, who
lives in China, was reportedly detained on November 5 by police in
the northeastern province of Heilongjiang for helping to publicize
her sister’s case.
Lou is thought to be in detention, although her family has not
been told of her whereabouts, Amnesty said, adding that according to
some sources she may have been sent to a labour camp for two years.
Luo Zhen is not believed to be a follower of Falun Gong, banned
by China in July 1999 .., but she and her family had
been harassed by police following her sister’s detention, the group
said.
Kaneko was arrested in May along with two Japanese Falun Gong
members for distributing fliers and video discs about Falun Gong in
Beijing. The other two women, both Japanese citizens, were
expelled.
Kaneko migrated to Japan in 1999 and is a permanent resident of
Japan and married to a Japanese man, but not yet a Japanese
citizen.
China’s legal system allows people to be sentenced without trial
for up to three years in a work camp for so-called “reeducation
through labour”.
Tens of thousands of Falun Gong adherents have been detained
since Beijing outlawed the group, which mixes Buddhist and Taoist
beliefs with breathing and meditation exercises.
Hundreds of followers have died following torture and beatings
while in custody, according to Falun Gong.
Posting date: 1/Dec/2002
Original article date: 30/Nov/2002
Category: World News
