Huge rights violation looming as Japan passes laws and initiates projects to prepare the ground for state-governed faith-breaking against religious minority with 600,000 followers
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Patricia Duval, French attorney and expert on international human rights law. She has defended the rights of minorities of religion or belief in domestic and international fora, and before international institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Union, and the United Nations. She has also published numerous scholarly articles on freedom of religion or belief. Photo: FOREFPatricia Duval, French attorney specialised in international human rights law, sent on 22nd September 2024, a 29-page report titled “Japan: A Witch Hunt to Eradicate the Unification Church” to several UN offices. Bitter Winter, the leading international magazine on religious freedom and human rights published 3 days later, on 25th September, an executive summary of the report. The day after, the magazine started publishing a 5-part series where Duval gives a more detailed description of the content.
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Text: John Milton
Japan passes new laws and initiates programs to prepare for large-scale state-organized faith-breaking against religious minority with more than half a million followers
Japan on course to violate the fundamental rights of individuals to practice their religion freely. Here member of Family Federation in prayer. Illustration: Microsoft Designer Image Creator, 24th October 2024.State-organized faith-breaking: A new anti-religious strategy in Japan
Japan has recently implemented a legal framework and counseling initiatives, which are widely considered as part of a strategy to put an end to the large religious minority the Family Federation. While the measures taken by the Japanese authorities have been introduced as support for victims, the course of action chosen instead risk perpetuating a cycle of government-supported coercion used against believers under the guise of assistance.
This approach threatens the fundamental rights of individuals to practice their religion freely and undermines the rights of parents to raise their children according to their beliefs. As Japan navigates this complex landscape, it must definitely consider its obligations to international human rights treaties to ensure that its actions do not infringe upon the rights of its citizens.
Indeed, Japan’s recent legal and social initiatives targeting new religious movements, particularly the Family Federation, do raise significant human rights concerns. Following a history of scandals involving illegal abductions for “faith-breaking” purposes, the Japanese government appears to be pursuing a new strategy, which may still seriously infringe on individual rights under the guise of providing support.
Legislative background
Japan violates international treaties it has ratified, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).Article 18.2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states,
“No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.”
This principle prohibits not only physical coercion but also psychological pressure, which can manifest in mandatory counseling sessions aimed at dissuading individuals from their faith.
On 18th January 2024, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei Shinbun reported on a Cabinet meeting focused on “Supporting the Victims of the Former Unification Church”. During this conference, a support plan was finalized, building upon the Special Measures Law enacted in December 2023 (Law 89). This new framework outlines measures intended to assist victims. Instead, those measures target the Family Federation in a very specific manner.
The support plan
The “relief measures” are designed to provide “counseling” specifically aimed at individuals labeled as “victims” or “potential victims”, including children of Family Federation members. This plan entails the involvement of former members of the religious minority who serve as instructors to government counselors. The idea is that these former followers can provide valuable insights based on their experiences to aid in the counseling process.
According to government announcements, this program intends to make children and young people from second-generation believers aware of perceived manipulation by their religious organization. The government’s plan includes expanding the number of counselors in schools and establishing “Human Rights Classes” aimed at educating children about their rights, allegedly to help them escape from perceived religious coercion.
From the “SOS Mini Letter.” One example of abuse is “Because of my parents’ religion I cannot participate in sport events.” Photo: Bitter WinterOne notable aspect is the distribution of a “Children’s Human Rights SOS Mini Letter” to students, which is designed to enable children to discreetly reach out for help. The troubling implication is that this initiative could incite children to seek state intervention, potentially leading to them being removed from their families and their religious upbringing.
Implications for families and religious freedom
These measures can be seen as a form of institutionalized “faith-breaking”, where the state actively encourages children to renounce their parents’ faith. This approach infringes not only on the individual rights of these children but also violates the rights of their parents to educate them in accordance with their own beliefs. Article 18.4 of the ICCPR states,
“States Parties undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents […] to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.”
Similarly, Article 14.1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
The report by the Jehovah’s Witnesses on the religious liberty crisis in Japan. Photo: Bitter WinterMoreover, the Japanese government’s plan undermines the essence of parental authority and could lead to further family breakdowns. The focus on faith-breaking highlights an alarming trend where the state intervenes in deeply personal and familial matters, particularly in the context of religious beliefs.
Patricia Duval writes in her report to the UN,
The plan tailor-made by the Government for the Unification Church [Editor’s note: Now called the Family Federation] also includes that the Children and Families Agency should provide support at child guidance centers, “based on the ‘Q&A regarding responses to child abuse related to religious beliefs.”
The Q&A they refer to are the Guidelines on child abuse related to religious beliefs, published on 27 December 2022 by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.
We refer here to the report made by the Jehovah’s Witnesses on those Guidelines and the Special Rapporteurs’ letter to the Japanese Government expressing their concerns on the matter.
Featured image above: Four of the 4,300 Japanese members of the Family Federation who became victims of state-permitted kidnapping, forcible detention and attempted deprogramming. Here at a conference in Tokyo 10th September 2023. Hirohisa Koide is second from left. Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video published by Japanese Victims’ Association against Religious Kidnapping and Forced Conversion
See part 1, part 2 of comments on fourth article of Bitter Winter’s 5-part series
See part 1, part 2, part 3 on third article of Bitter Winters 5-part series
See part 1, part 2 of comments on second article of Bitter Winter’s 5-part series
See part 1, part 2, part 3 of comments on first article of Bitter Winter’s 5-part series
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