Stigma Across Borders: Concerns Grow Over Discrimination Against Shincheonji Members Abroad

CANBERRA, Australia - Rezul -- Shincheonji Church of Jesus said on July 9 that the international human rights NGO CAP LC (Coordination des Associations et Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience) had submitted a joint written statement to the U.N. Human Rights Council expressing concern over discrimination and stigma against its members.

In the statement, CAP LC focused less on the controversy surrounding Shincheonji Church of Jesus itself than on the standards by which such matters are assessed. The group expressed concern that negative perceptions and unverified materials formed in South Korea, if disseminated abroad, could have a serious impact not only on public opinion in other countries but also on administrative and judicial decisions.

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CAP LC therefore urged governments to base any decisions concerning Shincheonji Church of Jesus on verifiable evidence and clear legal standards.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus said the statement showed that if unfounded stigma were allowed to gain international acceptance, other religious minorities could also be judged in the same manner, underscoring the responsibility of states to protect the rights of all religious minorities.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus said such cases were not limited to isolated instances of harm identified in some countries. It said unfounded stigma and unverified claims were causing disadvantages for individual members in their workplaces, families and broader social lives, and called for administrative and judicial decisions in each country to be based on clear legal standards and verifiable evidence.

Ultimately, the church said, how the case is resolved would serve as a test of the strength of social and institutional trust in the protection of religious minorities, beyond the matter of a single religious organization.

https://www.shincheonji.org/en