Baltic News Service

June 28, 2000

Moonies ordered to stop religious activities in Lithuania

Vilnius, June 28 - The Lithuanian Justice Ministry has warned the Collegiate Association for the Research of the Principle to discontinue its religious activities in Lithuania because they run counter its own bylaws and violates the country`s Law on Public Organizations.

The Justice Ministry said that the association`s bylaws do not include religious aims of the organization and its relation to the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon.

However, the information available to the ministry suggests that the Collegiate Association for the Research of the Principle functions in Lithuania as a part of the world movement headed by Moon.

The Justice Ministry said that events organized by the association in Lithuania are aimed at recruiting young people who later become members of the religious community of the Unification Church.

According to the bylaws of the Collegiate Association for the Research of the Principle, the main goal of he organization is promotion of activities of university students to ensure world peace, development of friendship and cooperation among students of different countries.

The ministry ordered the association to present by Aug. 15 2000 a document about cessation of its activities in the Baltic state.

The Lithuanian Justice Ministry does not have specific numbers of people enrolled in activities of the Collegiate Association for the Research of the Principle and the Unification Church of Moon.