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CLICK HERE FOR: May 5, 2010 U.S. Congressional Resolution Condemning Japanese Abduction of American Children
On October 3, 2009, Children's
Rights Council of Japan organized a "Free Christopher Savoie" Rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.,
demanding that the Japanese government immediately release Christopher Savoie and reunite him with his children, and also
acknowledge and resolve all the other cases of child abductions in Japan. Speakers included CRC of Japan co-founder Walter
Benda, U.S. Navy Commander Paul Toland, Amy Savoie (Christopher Savoie's wife), Kay Kephart (an American grandmother imprisoned
while trying to find her grandchildren), David Levy (Children's Rights Council), and 2 U.S. left-behind fathers, Randy Collins
and Lance Litwiller. Media included CNN, NBC, CBS, NHK, FUJI TELEVISION NETWORK NEWS, TV TOKYO, KYODO NEWS, and documentary
film maker Matt Antell, fromtheshadowsmovie.com. A candlelight vigil was held that evening in front of the White House.
Below is a video slideshow of that day.
OCT 3 2009 VIDEO (MUSIC SAMPLE: TRABRYU "ROAD")
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CRC of Japan Membership Form
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Photo
from our candlelight vigil at the Embassy of Japan on April 27, 2007
Children's Rights Council of Japan held a press
conference on April 27, 2007 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. coinciding with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe's visit to Washington, D.C. for meetings with President Bush. The purpose of the press conference was to alert the public
about the Japanese government's long-standing refusal to cooperate with other countries in international child abduction cases.
For the U.S. alone it is estimated that every year there are 100 or more new cases of U.S. citizen children who are abducted
to and/or retained in Japan.
The press conference, as well as a candlelight vigil held at the Embassy of Japan later
that day, were organized by Walter Benda, co-founder of Children's Rights Council of Japan. Participants at the press conference
included U.S. parents Walter Benda, Patrick Braden, Mike Gulbraa, and Paul Toland, all having American children abducted to
and/or retained in Japan. Another parent, David Brian Thomas, spoke to the audience from Tokyo via a teleconference call.
Family members of children being held in Japan as well as two other American parents with child access problems concerning
Japan were in the audience.
David L. Levy, J.D., CEO of Children's Rights Council (www.CRCkids.org) gave the introductory
remarks, At the end of the conference, Mr. Levy became the inaugural signatory for a petition CRC of Japan has developed,
calling upon Japan to cooperate on international child abduction issues.
Chris Gulbraa, who may be the only American
child abducted to Japan to return home, spoke about the challenges he faced as an abducted child in Japan, and the difficulticies
encountered trying to flee from Japan.
Other speakers included John Crouch, J.D., of Crouch and Crouch, and Jessica
Sarra of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (www.icmec.org). Members of the U.S. State Department
attended as observers, but no one from the Japanese government was in attendance (an invitation was sent to Ambassador Kato
prior to the event). Documentary filmmaker and author Scott Mactavish filmed the conference as well as the candlelight vigil
at the Japanese Embassy.
Letters from Senator Barbara Boxer of California as well as Ernie Allen of the International
Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, calling on President Bush and Prime Minister Abe to address these issues, were released
at the press conference.
Japan is the only G-7 industrialized country that is not a party to The Hague abduction convention,
which is an important tool for those seeking the return of children abducted across international borders, or to exercise
their rights of access to see them. Japanese law enforcement and social service agencies do not enforce custody orders,
international arrest warrants, and extradition requests relating to international child abduction. Japan also indirectly
supports international child abduction by not having a formal two-parent signature requirement for obtaining passports for
minors.
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Children's Rights Council of Japan was founded by David Brian Thomas and Walter Benda on May 5, 1996, "Children's Day" in
Japan. We are a volunteer child advocacy organization, offering information and resources for children's rights issues in
Japan, focusing on children of divorce, separation, or born out of wedlock. With members in Japan as well as overseas, CRC
of Japan is the first international chapter of Children's Rights Council of Hyattsville, Maryland, a United States 501(c)(3)
nonprofit. Using a parent's point of view, we seek to provide information, networking and support for children, parents and
other family members facing issues in Japan. CRC of Japan may be able to help in matters pertaining to the Japanese family
court system and the Japanese higher court and appeals systems, as well as cases in Japan of child abduction/kidnapping by
family members, denial of visitation/access rights, child custody, divorce and separation, and child/spousal abuse. We are
also working to change the Japanese system to make it more amenable to the concept of "the best parent is both parents," so
that children of broken homes have equal access to their fathers and mothers. Children's Rights Council of Japan is a volunteer
organization. Our expenses, for the most part, are paid out of our own pockets. If you would like to support our efforts,
please consider becoming a member or making a purchase from our online gift shop, via the links shown on this page. We appreciate
your support.
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