According to the online news, Mitsugu Sato, the editor-in-chief of The Epoch Times Japan and the leader of Japanese website, died on July 20 and I verified the news through online searching.
Birth, old age, illness, and death, these are the realities of life and inevitable for everyone. But this case is somehow special.
Firstly, Mitsugu Sato was a devout practitioner and one of the leaders of Falun Gong organization in Japan. Searching the Falun Gong websites, you'll find his name and the title of The Epoch Times reporter. Most of his articles are published during 2006 through early 2009. On April 23, 2006, he appeared at the gathering held in Japan supporting those quitting the CCP and its affiliated organizations and spreading the lies made by The Epoch Times about so-called "Sujiatun Concentration Camp". Mitsugu Sato had been busy traveling around in Japan, reporting anti-China demonstrations organized by Falun Gong, bragging about the magic power of Devine Performance. He had worked very hard. But he has written no article for The Epoch Times and hasn't attended public gatherings since February 15, 2009, for he fell ill. On July 20, a special day for all Falun Gong practitioners, Mitsugu Sato died. The Law Bodies of Master Li Hongzhi failed in protecting him and the magic power of Devine Performance didn't work on him.
Editor-in-Chief Mitsugu Sato of The Epoch Times Japan
Secondly, Xiao Xinli, the wife of Mitsugu Sato, is also a practitioner. She graduated from Foreign Language Department of Nanjing University in 1989 and then went to Japan for further education program, getting MA degree on advanced sociology from Ochanomizu University. She was arrested on the charges of disturbing social orders by publicizing Falun Gong at Tian'anmen Square in late 1999 and, after being repatriated to Japan, became an activist of both democratic and Falun Gong organizations. She used to be the spokesperson of the Global Committee on Saving Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners and actively engages in anti-China activities. According to Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, "a practitioner will benefit the entire family". Even if Mitsugu Sato was a beginner in the field, Xiao Xinli has been a disciple of higher level; but still, she hasn't benefited her husband. According to the source, Xiao Xinli refused to send her husband to hospital although he was critically ill. To make things worse, she even attended a Falun Gong demonstration on the day Mitsugu Sato was dead. Together with her fellow practitioners, she actually wanted to bring her husband back to life seven days after death by "sending forth righteous thoughts".
Xiao Xinli, one of the leaders of Falun Gong organization in Japan
Thirdly, Falun Gong organization blocked the news concerning the death of Mitsugu Sato. Mitsugu Sato died on the way of publicizing the Fa; but after his death, Japan Falun Dafa Association held no funeral for him, the president of the association and The Epoch Times sent no representative to mourn for him at his house, and no Falun Gong website in the world has ever published the news about his death.
What makes the story sadder is that, from July 17 to 20, Japan Falun Dafa Association had a tight schedule holding press conference, demonstrating in front of the Embassy of People's Republic of China in Japan, celebrating the 10th anniversary of so-called "fighting against persecution" with candle-light gathering and demonstration. They have forgotten him completely.
(Kaiwind.com, July 28, 2009)
