Fijians escape New Zealand cult - report

Radio New Zealand/December 9, 2005

Two Fiji nationals are reported to have escaped from a cult operated in New Zealand by the controversial Korean evangelist, the Reverend Dr Sun Myung Moon.

The Fiji Sun reports that Dr Moon has had an office operating in Suva for five years and has been using martial arts to lure young people in the South Pacific to join his movement.

Johnny Blades reports...

"The Sun says two local martial arts experts, Salesi Tuifagalele and Hisham Khan, were invited to do a 50-day instructors course in New Zealand only to find it was a place of cult worship."

"Mr Tuifagalele says a Japanese named Kenji who is Dr Moon's agent in Fiji invited them on the all expenses paid trip."

"He says at the training camp in New Zealand they were met by martial arts experts from Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu and Japan."

"Mr Tuifagalele says they felt something was wrong when their Korean instructor told them to bow before a huge photo of Dr Moon and his wife."

"They were told that Dr Moon was the next messiah and he had to be worshipped at all times."

"Mr Tuifagalele says it was then that he and Hisham Khan decided to escape, adding that they are glad the Fiji government has placed a ban on Dr Moon and his wife."