Fraser Committee 32210 216437629 2008-06-01T17:34:24Z Steve Dufour 1440759 /* External links */ no mention of the Fraser Committee in this article, which was about the Washington Times founding The '''Fraser Committee''' ('''also known as the Subcommittee on International Organizations''') was a committee of the [[United States House of Representatives]] which met in [[1977]] and [[1978]]. It is best known for its statements about the [[Unification Church]] and other groups started or inspired by the Reverend [[Sun Myung Moon]],<ref>It devoted 81 pages of its 447 page report, ''Investigation of Korean-American Relations'', to the role of [[Unification Church]] founder [[Sun Myung Moon]] and some church members and organizations which they supported in South Korean-American relations.</ref> although its overall purpose was to investigate [[South Korea]]n-American relations. A novel aspect of the committee's approach was to treat the church, along with a myriad of related organizations created by Moon and church members, as one monolithic "Moon Organization". The committee used this approach to call into question the church's U.S. tax-exempt status, which after lengthy legal battles was finally upheld. Fraser was not re-elected, and the issues he raised faded into obscurity.{{Or|date=February 2008}} The church and its closely related student organization [[CARP]] recruited young people at a time when hostility to [[new religious movements]] was high in America. CARP, incorporated as a separate non-profit organization, engaged in political activity (demonstrations and commentary) that an American church may not do. Also, church members started (for-profit, tax-paying) businesses; the best known at the time in America built boats or fished for tuna. {{Or|date=February 2008}} It was Fraser's aim to have the businesses, the non-profit organizations (particularly CARP), and the church all treated the same way. This would mean that CARP would be considered an "[[affiliate]]" of the church and thus forbidden to make political statements, conduct political rallies, etc. Worse, from the church's standpoint, the non-profit organizations would be lumped with the for-profit businesses and required to pay taxes. {{Or|date=February 2008}} For a small pioneering church to pay real estate tax, and to lose its ability to conduct [[fundraising]] campaigns as a non-profit entity, would have been a great financial burden on the church.{{Or|date=February 2008}} Some of the organizations founded by Rev. Moon or church members aimed at promoting good will between America and Korea were ''de facto'' church activities. {{Or|date=February 2008}} Alleging that the church had made numerous improper forays into politics, Rep. Fraser implied that the church itself should not enjoy tax-exempt status or other privileges, on the grounds that it was merely part of a which had chiefly political and supposedly anti-American aims.{{Or|date=February 2008}} However, four subsequent years of investigations by the government agencies produced no evidence for these charges.{{Or|date=February 2008}} Fraser did not win re-election, and thereafter faded into obscurity.{{Or|date=February 2008}} The most prominent accusation made by Fraser was that the Unification Church was merely a front for the Korean CIA, and that it had been founded by the KCIA director in 1961. This claim blatantly ignores the fact that the church had been founded in 1954. Colonel [[Bo Hi Pak]], who was Rev. Moon's right hand man in America, protested this and other distortions of the historical record in ''[[Truth Is My Sword]]''. {{Fact|date=February 2008}} ==The Fraser Report== Between 1977 and 1978, the Subcommittee on International Organizations of the [[United States House of Representatives]]' Committee on International Relations conducted an investigation into [[Korea]]n-American relations. The subcommittee, which was chaired by Representative [[Donald M. Fraser]] of [[Minnesota]], issued a 447 page report entitled ''Investigation of Korean-American Relations; Report of the Subcommittee on International Organizations of the Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives''. Eighty-one pages (pages 311 to 392) of the report presented the subcommittee's findings on [[Sun Myung Moon|Rev. Sun Myung Moon]], the [[Unification Church]], and what the subcommittee termed "the Moon Organization." ==Issues explored by the committee== In its report, the subcommittee described issues that had been raised during its earlier 1976 investigation into the activities of the [[National Intelligence Service (South Korea)|Korean Central Intelligence Agency]] (KCIA) in the United States. The subcommittee had received allegations concerning Sun Myung Moon and organizations associated with him:<ref name="fraserReport">[http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/moonies/fraser-report/index.html ''Investigation of Korean-American Relations; Report of the Subcommittee on International Organizations of the Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives'']</ref> <blockquote>Many Americans were distressed by the recruitment techniques of the UC. Others questioned the failure of the UC to state openly its ties with the numerous groups it had set up; the use to which it 312 put its tax-exempt status; the propriety of its owning and operating an armaments plant in South Korea; possible links to the South Korean Government; and Moon's statements in late 1973 and 1974 concerning President Nixon and Watergate. The most volatile controversy raged around the charges that "Moonies" were brainwashed. The UC in turn countercharged that parents were kidnaping UC members for "deprogramming" and successfully obtained court orders restricting the activities of the deprogrammers.</blockquote> Lee Jai Hyon, a former official of the [[South Korea|Republic of Korea]] (ROK) Government who had been stationed at the Korean Embassy in Washington, testified at that earlier investigation: "Lee described what appeared to him to be 'a curious working relationship' involving the Korean Government, the UC, and other organizations associated with Moon." Lee Jai Hyon's allegations included:<ref name="fraserReport"/> *That Pak Bo Hi, Moon's aide and translator and president of the Washington-based Korean Cultural and Freedom Foundation (KCFF), had access to the Korean Embassy's cable channel to Seoul. *That agents of the KCIA at the Embassy maintained contact with the Freedom Leadership Foundation (FLF), "another Moon-related organization in Washington." *That Moon had founded the "Little Angels", a Korean children's dance troupe which had appeared around the world as official representative of the Korean Government. *That South Korean President Park Chung Hee had mailed out 60,000 letters on behalf of the KCFF. *That Moon operated an anti-Communist indoctrination center in Korea for Korean Government employees and military officers. Lee also pointed to Moon's rise to wealth and prominence under the Park regime and suggested that this could only have occurred with the active cooperation of the KCIA and other branches of the Government. Alan Tate Wood, a former UC member who had been president of the FLF, also testified to the subcommittee, alleging that "Moon, through the UC and its numerous front organizations, wanted to acquire enough influence in America to be able to "dictate policy on major issues, to influence legislation, and move into electoral politics." In the United States, the political goals of the UC and those of the KCIA "overlap so thoroughly as to display no difference at all." Wood also charged that Moon was violating U.S. laws by importing aliens to raise funds and that fundraising by UC members was often done under false pretenses."<ref name="fraserReport"/> ==Creation of the term "Moon Organization"== The subcommittee branded the totality of the Unification movement as a shadowy yet unitary organization:<ref name="fraserReport"/> <blockquote>It soon became apparent that he was the key figure in an international network of organizations engaged in economic and political as well as religious activities. The numerous churches, businesses, committees, foundations, and other groups associated with Sun Myung Moon emerged as parts of what is essentially one worldwide organization, under the centralized direction and control of Moon. This organization began as a small movement started by Moon in Korea in 1954. In the diversity of its functions and basic organizational structure it now resembles a multinational corporation, involved in manufacturing, international trade, defense contracting, finance, and other business activities. However, it goes beyond that in that it encompasses religious, educational, cultural, ideological, and political enterprises as well.</blockquote> The subcommittee also said that:<ref name="fraserReport"/> <blockquote>In the training and use of lower ranking members, it resembles a paramilitary organization, while in other respects it has the characteristics of a tightly disciplined international political party. Among the many organizations there is continuous and close interaction, principally in the form of personnel moving back and forth among organizations, intermixed finances, use of one component or another component as if both were one and the same, and, of course, the figure of Moon. Because of the close interrelationship of the various organizations, the subcommittee came to view them as one unit and refers to them in the aggregate as the Moon Organization in this report. Goals of Moon Before reviewing the components and activities of the Moon Organization, it is useful to look at various writings and speeches of Moon in which he discusses the goals of his movement and the 314 means required to achieve them. Within that context, the Moon Organization becomes more comprehensible. In many public statements and in applications for tax-exempt status, the goals of the Moon movement are said to be religious. Actions which appeared to be clearly political or economic to outsiders were explained as necessary means to achieve religious goals. The apparent contradictions in many of the activities of the Moon Organization are explained by Moon's overriding religious goal--to establish a worldwide "theocracy", that is, a world order which would abolish separation of church and state and be governed by the immediate direction of God.</blockquote> The subcommittee categorized these organizations into three categories: *The first category consists of organizaitons "whose major function is to attract new members to the UC, though their relationship with the UC may be hidden." The examples given are: **CARP (Collegiate Association for the Research into Principles) **Creative Community Project (formerly known as New Education Development Systems, Inc. and the International Re-Education Foundation) **The Center for Ethical Management and Planning **The One World Crusade *The second category "consists of groups which focus on the secular goals of Moon and the UC." The examples given are: **The International Cultural Foundation **The Korean Cultural and Freedom Foundation **The Freedom Leadership Foundation. *The third category includes "economic enterprises, ranging from multi-million dollar industries to small retail stores." ==On Moon's teachings and objectives== The subcommittee reported on what it had determined to be some of Moon's teachings:<ref name="fraserReport"/> *Moon is quoted as saying "...we must have an [[automatic theocracy]] to rule the world. So, we cannot separate the political field from the religious." *The report states that Moon "visualized the establishment of a 'unified civilization' of the whole world, to be centered in Korea and "corresponding to that of the Roman Empire." *Moon is quoted as saying that "In the meal [sic] world centered upon God, everyone will speak only Korean, so no interpreter will be necessary." Moon is also quoted as saying:<ref name="fraserReport"/> <blockquote>"This system should eventually prevail so overwhelmingly, that even in Japan and Germany, the people will not buy products.from their, own country, but will buy according to centralized instructions. What kind of system of thought or economy can function to give these centralized instructions? Religion is the only system that can do that. So in the future, this system of thought or system of economy will have a close relationship with religious organizations. Our master is going to prepare for this system of economy."</blockquote> ==On Moon's strategy== According to the subcommittee, "To achieve his theocracy, Moon has mapped out strategies for gaining control and influence over economic, political, cultural, academic, media, and religious institutions. The efforts of the Moon Organization are to be concentrated on key nations." Moon is quoted as saying that "We must approach from every angle of life; otherwise, we cannot absorb the whole population of the world. We must besiege them."<ref name="fraserReport"/> The subcommittee further states that "Moon based his movement on a church because it provides the greatest opportunity for reaching his goals. A UC publication discussed a change in the American organization's name from 'United Family" to "Unification Church", noting that "The reason for the change is that we must ultimately have our effect on the institutions of society."<ref name="fraserReport"/> ==Criticisms of the "Moon Organization"== The subcommittee summarized its criticisms as follows:<ref name="fraserReport"/> *"The UC and numerous other religious and secular organizations headed by Sun Myung Moon constitute essentially one international organization." *"The Moon Organization attempts to achieve goals outlined by Sun Myung Moon, who has substantial control over the economic, political, and spiritual activities undertaken by the organization in pursuit of those goals." *"Among the goals of the Moon Organization is the establishment of a worldwide government in which the separation of church and state would be abolished and which would be governed by Moon and his followers." *"In pursuit of this and other goals, the Moon Organization has attempted, with varying degrees of success, to gain control over or establish business and other secular institutions in the United States and elsewhere, and has engaged in political activities in the United States. Some of these activities were undertaken to benefit the ROK Government or otherwise to influence U.S. foreign policy." *"While pursuing its own goals, the Moon Organization promoted the interests of the ROK Government, and at times did so in cooperation with, or at the direction of, ROK agencies and officials." *"The Moon Organization established the KCFF ostensibly as a nonprofit foundation to promote Korean-American relations, but used the KCFF to promote its own political and economic interests and those of the ROK Government." *"The Moon Organization extensively used the names of Senators, Congressmen, U.S. Presidents, and other prominent Americans to raise funds and to create political influence for itself and the ROK Government." *"A Moon Organization business is an important defense contractor in Korea. It is involved in the production of M-16 rifles, antiaircraft guns, and other weapons." *"Moon Organization agents attempted to obtain permission from an American corporation to export M-16's manufactured in Korea. The M-16's are manufactured under a coproduction 388 agreement approved by the U.S. Government, which puts M-16 production under the exclusive control of the Korean Government. Despite this, Moon Organization representative appeared-apparently on behalf of the Korean Government--to negotiate an extension of the agreement." *"The Moon Organization attempted to obtain a controlling interest in the Diplomat National Bank by disguising the source of funds used to purchase stock in the names of UC members." *"The Moon Organization used church and other tax-exempt components in support of its political and economic activities." *"Although many of the goals and activities of the Moon Organization were legitimate and lawful, there was evidence that it had systematically violated U.S. tax, immigration, banking, currency, and Foreign Agents Registration Act laws, as well as State and local laws relating to charity fraud, and that these violations were related to the organization's overall goals of gaining temporal power." "During the four years following the Fraser committee report, the Unification Church was the subject of major investigations by the [[INS]], the [[IRS]], the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]], the [[SEC]] and several other government agencies, including the U.S. Congress, and was found to be operating within the law."<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Talks/Durst/FRONTLNE.htm The Words of Mose Durst<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Bo Hi Pak== [[Bo Hi Pak]], who was at that time one of the top leaders of the Unification Church and who was called to testify at the hearings, said: :Mr. Fraser conducted the most extensive congressional inquiry into a religious organization in recent history, alleging that the Unification Church was a front for the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. To prove this, he subpoenaed church officials, interviewed scores of present and former church members, minutely scrutinized church financial records (literally tons of documents were turned over to the subcommittee), probed the business and political affiliations of church members, sent investigators to Korea, and speculated about the meaning of the church's religious doctrines and teachings. Despite all of this, in the end he had to admit that all of his major allegations were false. Rather than apologizing for the ugly rumors his investigation had spread, however, Mr. Fraser buried his admissions in begrudging, single-line statements in the middle of a 447-page report that few people will ever read. :For instance, Mr. Fraser's final report on Korean-American relations had to recognize the following: :1. That the Unification Church and associated organizations were not agents for the Korean Government or the KCIA (Fraser report p. 389). :2. That the ridiculous rumor that the Director of the KCIA had founded the Unification Church-a rumor propagated by Mr. Fraser himself-had no basis in fact (Fraser report p. 354). :3. That the ugly stories, made public by the investigation, alleging that Rev. Moon had been arrested on morals charges in Korea also turned out to be utterly groundless (Fraser report p. 353). :4. That there was no evidence of funding by the Korean government and no collusion between the members of the Unification Church and Tongsun Park with regard to stock purchases in the Diplomat National Bank (Fraser report pp. 385-6). :No, Mr. Fraser could not bring himself to make these admissions publicly. Instead he made a series of new charges, many of which have nothing at all to do with Korean-American relations and are equally outlandish and unfounded. As a fig leaf to hide his own failure, Mr. Fraser has now asked for more investigations. After spending $685,000 and nearly three years, all he could recommend is that "somebody should investigate." When one Washington reporter heard this at his press conference he commented, "Do you mean after all this time and money, you're calling for another investigation? You've got to be joking!"<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Books/Tims1/Tims1-06.htm Press Conference], [[Bo Hi Pak]], [[January 17]], [[1979]]<br> </ref> ==Mose Durst== Unification Church president Dr. [[Mose Durst]] issued a statement criticizing media coverage of the church. In it he said about Fraser : :"Donald Fraser was seen recalling what he considered to be a series of unfair articles about him which appeared in The News World in 1978. Fraser said, "I didn't appreciate the accusation they were making against me. They were absolutely false, I think they knew they were false." "[[Frontline (US TV series)|Frontline]]" did not report what the accusations were nor attempt to confirm their validity. :For example, Fraser admitted paying witnesses who testified against Reverend Moon in those hearings $2,000 each pursuant to a "consulting contract." When Rep. Edward J. Derwinski, the subcommittee's ranking minority member, discovered this breach of congressional ethics, he stated, "It will have all the appearances of a payoff to witnesses for their testimony." :In addition, Fraser admitted payment of "salary advances" to a staff member in violation of federal law. These abuses were widely reported on the wire services and by "The News World". If "Frontline" intended to present an objective report, why was Fraser not confronted on camera with these facts?<ref>[http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Talks/Durst/FRONTLNE.htm Unification Church Response to Frontline Production of The Resurrection of Reverend Moon]</ref> ==External links== {{wikisource}} {{commons}} {{wikisource|The Cult Phenomenon in the United States (1979)/Boetcher}} *[http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/moonies/fraser-report/index.html Excerpt from the report] on [[Steven Hassan]]'s Freedom of Mind Web site *[http://www.rickross.com/reference/unif/Unif11.html Excerpt from the report] on the [[Rick Ross (consultant)|Rick Ross Institute]] Web site ;House resolutions *[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d095:7:./temp/~bdBPOu:: House Resolution 996], [[1977]] *[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d095:8:./temp/~bdG9k1:: House Resolution 999], [[1978]] ;Scholarly articles *[http://www.csj.org/infoserv_articles/langone_michael_new_religions_and_public_policy.htm ''New Religions and Public Policy''], [[Michael D. Langone]], [[John G. Clark]], Jr., paper presented at the 64th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Division American Association for the Advancement of Science, June 1983, also published in ''Scientific Research and New Religions: Divergent Perspectives'', edited by Brock K. Kilbourne, Pacific Division American Association for the Advancement of Science, [[San Francisco, California]], [[1985]], pp. 90-113. *[http://www.csj.org/infoserv_articles/van_hoey_sara_cults_in_court.htm ''Cults in Court''], ''[[Cultic Studies Review|Cultic Studies Journal]]'', 8 (1), [[1991]] *[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0362-9805(197708)2%3A3%3C255%3AOOFPTU%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O ''Oversight of Foreign Policy: The U. S. House Committee on International Relations''], Fred Kaiser, ''Legislative Studies Quarterly'', Vol. 2, No. 3 (Aug., 1977), pp. 255-279 ==See also== *[[List of United States House committees]] *[[Koreagate]] *[[Tongsun Park]] *''[[Gifts of Deceit]]'' *[[Whisper campaign]] {{Sun Myung Moon}} ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Unification Church]]