REVEREND MOON'S REQUEST TO VISIT FRANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002488

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2016
TAGS: SOCI SCUL PROP PINS PHUM FR GM
SUBJECT: REVEREND MOON'S REQUEST TO VISIT FRANCE


Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt
for reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE REQUEST: International
Unification Church founder, Dr. Sun Myung Moon, and his wife,
currently designated as "dangerous persons" and banned from
entering France under the Schengen Information System, hope
that the recent ruling of a German court to overturn the ban
will have similar effects in France. The Moons have long
argued that their proscription is unjustified, and
Unification Church adherents have requested that Embassy
officials lobby the French government to follow the German
court's lead to allow the now elderly Moon to visit his
followers in France. While Moon himself is not American,
many of those requesting assistance are U.S. citizens. Post
requests guidance on how to proceed with this matter. END
SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE REQUEST.


2. (SBU) In multiple meetings with Poloff, French and
American representatives of the International Unification
Church have petitioned the USG to lobby the GOF on their
behalf to allow their church founder, Dr. Sun Myung Moon, to
visit the country. Moon and his wife are currently listed as
"dangerous persons" under the European Schengen Information
System and consequently are forbidden entry into the twelve
Schengen Convention states, including France. Although
France did not initiate the listing, it has thus far refused
to deviate from it, although it has the option of making an
exception if it so desires (as did the Netherlands).
(Background: It was Germany itself that first cited the
Schengen Treaty as the justification for banning Moon,
writing in October 1998, "Mr. Moon is the leader of the Moon
Movement/Moon Sect in which Mrs. Moon occupies a leading role
alongside her husband. In the opinion of the German
government, the Moon Movement is one of the so-called youth
sects and psycho groups whose activities could represent
possible risks to the social relations and personality
development of young people. In addition, the aim of all
activities of the Moon Movement was to establish a world
governed by Korea under the leadership of the Moon Family. A
public appearance of the Moons would encourage the spread of
this movement and lead to strong public reaction. It would
therefore be detrimental to public order and national
security and to significant interests of the Federal Republic
of Germany, thus providing sufficient reason to order refusal
of entry pursuant to Article 96, paragraph 2 of the Schengen
Convention.") Unification Church representatives now cite a
May 5, 2007 German court ruling declaring unlawful the entry
ban on the Moons in Germany under the terms of the Schengen
Treaty as further justification for lifting the ban in France
as well.


3. (U) Shortly after the full implementation of the Schengen
System in 1995, Moon and his wife conducted an international
speaking tour that took them to several European countries.
According to the Moons, while changing planes in Paris en
route from Budapest to Madrid, French authorities detained,
separated and held the Moons in custody for several hours.
Without access to a translator, they claim, Dr. Moon was
pressured -- unsuccessfully -- to sign a document in French
promising never again to set foot on French soil. French
immigration authorities forbade the Moons from continuing
their trip and forced them to return to Hungary.


4. (U) The Moons initiated judicial action in France to
appeal their designation as "dangerous persons," arguing that
a reading of the Schengen Convention reveals that its
security provisions were designed to proscribe drug dealers,
arms smugglers, terrorists and other dangerous criminals, not
leaders of religious groups -- even controversial religious
groups. Moreover, Moon's advocates have argued that Germany,
France, and all members of the Schengen System are also
obligated by their membership in the United Nations and as
signatories to the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.


5. (U) According to Unification Church sources, since the
entry ban against the Moons is an administrative action
related to security issues, it has been difficult to clarify
the charges against them. France does not allow a listee or
his attorney even to see his file or to know the precise
nature of the charges against him. A case brought in 1996
challenging the listing initially resulted in a judge simply
informing the Moons' attorney that he considered the file to
be in order.


6. (SBU) GUIDANCE REQUEST: Unification Church
representatives have made repeated requests for Embassy
support in lobbying France to permit Moon to enter the
country. They clearly regard the German court's ruling
against the legitimacy of the Schengen ban as a major new
argument supporting their cause and have asked Post to help

PARIS 00002488 002 OF 002


make this argument as well to French authorities. Post
requests guidance on how to proceed. We would also
appreciate Embassy Berlin's view as to whether the legal
rejection by German courts of the Schengen ban nullifies the
ban itself, and by extension, French actions in putative
support of it. END GUIDANCE REQUEST.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm


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