Unseen Japan
October 7, 2023
Only a little over a year has gone by since the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Now, the Japanese government looks to deal a major blow to the Unification Church - the object of his assassin's ire.
The Japanese government just asked the Tokyo District Court to dissolve the Unification Church after ending its monthslong investigation into the group’s dirty finances and operations, all of which came to light following last year’s assassination of former PM Abe Shinzo, who was targeted for LDP’s links to the religious corporation.
Govt wants Moonies gone
The Japanese government is rolling out a plan to seek a court order to disband the Unification Church on October 13th, several government sources said Friday. Procedures for filing a dissolution request will commence after consultations with the Council on Religious Corporations which operates as an advisory body under the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) on the 12th.
Friday evening, Minister of MEXT Minister Moriyama Masahito told reporters that “nothing has been decided yet (for the dissolution request). (We are) making adjustments,” after wrapping up dinner with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Tokyo.
Probe year
The move comes after MEXT’s monthslong probe into the church’s finances and organization that began last November under Kishida’s direct orders to Nagaoka Keiko, MEXT Minister at the time when Kishida’s poll ratings were plummeting as public dismay erupted over ties between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the religious group.
The LDP is to hold an extraordinary Diet session on the 20th and a by-election for both the Upper and Lower Houses on the 22nd. Coupled with the move to dismantle the church, which is officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, Friday’s decision is a power move by the government to signify authority, speculates the Mainichi Shimbun.
3rd Dissolution Ever
Japan has 180,000 religious corporations, but only two have received a dissolution order–––Myokakji (明覚寺) in 2002 and Aum Shinrikyo (オウム真理教) in 1996.
If the Tokyo District Court dissolves the Unification Church, whose headquarters are in Korea, the group will lose tax benefits and its status as a religious corporation in Japan, although it could still operate as a private entity.
100 Missing Answers
Since last November, the Agency for Cultural Affairs investigated the church seven times through the exercise of the right to ask questions under the Religious Corporations Law, which stipulates that a court can issue a dissolution order of a religious organization when “in violation of laws and regulations that is clearly found as being substantially detrimental to public welfare.”
The investigation was launched five months after Yamagami Tetsuya, who had a personal grudge against the church, assassinated former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo for his links to the group in broad daylight with a handmade gun.
On seven occasions, the church refused to answer over 100 questions of more than 500 in total, mainly on the grounds of religious freedom. The seventh questioning concluded in late August.
Friday, the church sent a rebuttal statement to the Tokyo District Court about the agency’s request last month to fine the group for failing to answer questions. The statement argued the illegality of the agency’s questioning and that it didn’t answer some questions to protect its member’s privacy.
The agency’s investigation also examined testimonies of former members of the group, colloquially known as the Moonies.
What’s next?
MEXT confirmed the results of its nearly year-long probe on October 1st that the church had engaged in illegal acts even after issuing a declaration of compliance in 2009.
Following the government’s anticipated request for dissolution on the 13th, the Tokyo District Court will hear from both MEXT and the church in closed-door sessions and issue a decision.
If either party disagrees with the resulting decision, it can appeal to the Supreme Court.
The dissolution order for the Unification Church would likely take months to finalize, considering it took seven months for Aum Shinrikyo’s case and about three years for Myokakji’s.
Money Trail
Members from the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales held a meeting in Tokyo on September 30th to urge the government to take measures that ensure the church’s funds are dealt with appropriately after dissolving.
“Saving the many emerging victims will become impossible if the funds are leaked to Korea or hidden by other organizations,” said Lawyer Yamaguchi Hirobe.
Former members of the church are assembling to negotiate a deal to receive compensation for the damages they incurred from hefty donation fees. They are suing for a total of over ¥3.95 billion (approximately $2.64 billion USD).
Sources
[1] 旧統一教会に13日にも解散命令請求 政府方針. 毎日新聞
[2] Japan begins inquiry into Unification church in wake of Shinzo Abe killing. The Guardian
[3] Kishida orders investigation into Unification Church activities. The Asahi Shimbun
[4] Ex-Unification Church sends court rebuttal on administrative penalty. NHK World-Japan
[5] 「オウム真理教」など過去2件の解散命令請求 記録すべて廃棄. NHK
[6] VOX PUPULI: Unification Church should be dealt with like Myokakuji. The Asahi Shimbun
[7] Government to seek court order to revoke Unification Church’s status. The Japan Times
[8] State eyes court order to dissolve the Unification Church. The Asahi Shimbun
[9] “統一教会”問題に取り組む弁護士ら 解散請求後の財団“財産保全”を訴え. Yahoo!ニュースJAPAN
https://unseen-japan.com/japan-to-dissolve-unification-church/
No comments:
Post a Comment