PREMIER MINISTRE Report to the Prime Minister 2006 Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and Combat against Sectarian Aberrations - MIVILUDES - This document is a translation of the French version. Only the original French version is legally binding. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD BY THE CHAIRMAN 5 INTRODUCTION 8 1st section: PROTECTION OF VICTIMS: Assessment of the risks and aberrations 1 The sectarian hold or "inducing of a state of subjection" 14 2 The collateral victims of sectarian aberrations: 37 family and friends 3 Professional training and sectarian risks 58 4 The economic approach of sectarian movements A Analysis of the economic functioning 76 of sectarian movements: a partial explanation of sectarian risk B The example of Tradition, family, property, a specific organisation intended for the collection of donations and non-identified objects 93 5 Influence strategies implemented by sectarian movements in 2006 in the legal, media and parliamentary fields 102 3 2nd section: ANALYSES AND STUDIES 1 Sectarian risk in the psychotherapeutic field and transactional analysis 136 2 Sectarian risk relating to the use of certain 160 classified products other than drugs 3 Sectarian risk: legal and administrative 169 provisions in Europe and North America 3rd section: ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES 2006 A – Miviludes 1 Educational and informative activities 210 2 Cells of vigilance, a year of transition 216 B – Ministries 1 Justice 223 2 Foreign affairs 235 3 Home office and planning 240 4 Defence 244 5 Economy, finance and industry 255 6 National education, higher education 257 and research 7 Youth, sports and associative life 259 8 Employment, social cohesion and housing 267 Health and solidarity CONCLUSION 289 APPENDICES - Example of reporting 292 - Parliamentary activity: Written questions 297 - Addresses and useful links 303 4 FOREWORD BY THE CHAIRMAN In 2006, the main event in the combat against sectarian aberrations was the creation of the third parliamentary investigatory commission which specifically considered the damage which was likely to be caused to the moral or physical health of minors exposed to this risk. If all victims of sectarian aberrations must be contacted by public authorities, there is no doubt that the weakest victims, such as minors, must be reassured that all action is taken to avoid this risk or to assist them, if prevention is ineffective. The actual powers of the parliamentary investigatory commission enabled it to carry out an exhaustive analysis of the phenomenon, obtain difficult-to-access information and establish an evaluation which received substantial media attention, thus improving the information reaching the public. The proposals in the report by the parliamentary investigatory commission follow these lines and provide the Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and Combat against Sectarian Aberrations (MIVILUDES) with clear guidelines for action by public services in coming months. MIVILUDES itself has continued its efforts to meet the expectations of all those waiting for the state to take a clear position in favour of victims. Its annual activity report is also a means of taking lessons from previous action, assessing changes in the phenomenon and considering the effectiveness of efforts made without room for complacency. Since its creation, four years ago, MIVILUDES, the successor to the Interministerial Mission of Combat against Sects (MILS), has been able to specify its role and its position in the action of the government in terms of prevention and the combating of aberrations by an increasing number and range of organizations and individuals. The activities of the mission 5 are supported by an Orientation council including members of Parliament, academics, leaders of parent-teacher associations, representatives of families, victims and non-victims of the phenomenon, experts from legal, medical, and administrative fields and specialists in sectarian questions. The mission is determined to not lose view of its target in a secular Republic, prohibiting the wearing of any type of judgment on values concerning doctrines, theories or beliefs as such, and systematically denouncing all aberrations, abuse or infraction independently to the author or origin. Criticism was inevitable from this point, and attempts to restrain or paralyse action were unavoidable. It was therefore necessary to explain why France intended to continue with its vigilance programme, particularly on the international scene where the main transnational movements are lobbying frenetically. We needed to once again remind critics that the real victims are not those subject to the so-called "witch hunts", but the unfortunate individuals whose lives are often definitively destroyed in the spiral of sectarian commitment, via a trusting submission to individuals motivated by power and gains, or simply devoid of moral meaning or the slightest respect for fellow human beings. It has become fashionable for these organizations or their leaders to act as victims and to deny any responsibility in the fortunes of their followers. If these individuals are obliged to recognise that a complainant exists, they do not hesitate to turn them into a scapegoat, an apostate who initially consented and who is now entirely responsible for the current situation. In addition, applicants joining this type of movement, must initially eliminate the former human existing in him or her, who was necessarily a bad person, and reconstruct a new person, formatted by the group's beliefs, and therefore better. Any unsatisfactory element in the previous life of the new follower was his or her fault. The person was therefore guilty 6 when he or she arrived and will remain guilty unless the group's beliefs are satisfied during the period of belonging to the movement. The person will become even guiltier, of treason and earthly sins, if he or she leaves the group. Neither is there room for indulgence or pity, or respect, brotherhood or generosity in such a system. The rule of thumb is not even the cynical "everyone for himself", the group applies the pure and simple negation of dignity, as inherent to each human being, which ensures that the master can predominate followers and,… god help anyone who steps out of line! It is the duty of the Republic to ensure that the mutual tolerance shown by citizens and popular communities can be freely exercised and without consideration of origins, beliefs or differences between individuals. However, the Republic is also responsible to the nation for maintaining the social cement which assumes that no individual has the right to breach the fundamental rights of any woman, man and child. In view of this responsibility, the protection of all citizens, from the youngest to the oldest, against sectarian aberrations, is a basic obligation for the state. Jean-Michel Roulet Prefect MIVILUDES chairman 7 INTRODUCTION The Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and Combat against Sectarian Aberrations must, according to the decree founding the mission, present an annual report to the Prime Minister. MIVILUDES was created in December 2002 and has therefore presented four reports during the current Parliament. The mission focused successively on sectarian aberrations and sectarian risks in the two first reports, in chronological order, with a clear definition of the scope for activities and with specification of the nature of risks and the means of apprehending the reality in strict compliance with law, intended for the attention of the Parliament which closely monitors its action and citizens, which expect the state to protect them against a danger which is considered as particularly intolerable. Last year, in its third report, the Mission highlighted and presented examples of four major sectors which require increased vigilance and exhaustive notification of elected officials and the entire nation in view of the quality of the potential victims: approaches targeting minors, sectarian aberrations in the field of health in the wider sense of the term, the risk of penetration of economic systems and the infiltration of a leading sector in terms of image, i.e. humanitarian assistance. The three main focal points selected over the three previous periods remain applicable today, and it would have been possible to develop these issues once again with an update in view of fully reminding all parties that the defence of individual freedoms and the dignity of the human being 8 against the action of gurus of all sorts is a long-term process and that we cannot drop our guard. We finally decided to focus on new issues, which more clearly reflect changes in the sectarian environment, and the capacity of these organizations and their leaders to adapt on a daily basis. A study has been dedicated to the means of gaining hold on victims and the consequences on the people concerned in order to identify sectarian risk and assess the extent of damage to the victims of doubtful movements or of badly understood theories. Several members of the MIVILUDES' Orientation council desired that the crucial issue of collateral victims of sectarian membership be considered, i.e. the consequences of the follower's commitment for families, relations and friends. This aspect will be developed in human and legal terms. The sector of professional training is currently expanding dramatically and requires substantial funding. Organizations or individuals looking to invest in something should not remain inactive. The dangers faced by employees, administrations and companies