23 Jan 2006

Vanuatu government minister explains register of religious groups

7:38 pm on 23 January 2006

Vanuatu's Minister for Religious Affairs denies that his plan to re-introduce registration of religions is an attempt to weaken the influence of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon.

George Wells was active in placing a ban on the controversial Korean religious leader before his planned visit to Vanuatu last year.

But he says the registration system is needed to monitor smaller breakaway religious organisations some of which allow their leaders to build personal empires behind what he calls freedom of worship.

"We have received some complaints from various members of those churches and customary landowners that are members of those small groups of ministries that once they give the land to build a church, then they find out that the leaders of these movements or ministries, forms a trust and registers all assets under his personal name."

George Wells says that legal consultation about how religious organisations in Vanuatu stand in relation to the consitution will begin next month.