US embassy cable - 05THEHAGUE2928

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002928 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR DRL/IRF - KATY LURIE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, CVIS, NL, GM 
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS: DESPITE COURT DECISION, DUTCH VISA 
FOR REV. MOON UNCERTAIN 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Dutch Unification Church (DUC) is 
concerned that Dutch immigration authorities may deny Rev. 
Sun Myung Moon a visa to visit the Netherlands on Nov. 2. 
Although the Dutch invoked an exception clause to the 
Schengen Treaty framework to grant Rev. and Mrs. Moon visas 
in the past, an initial visa request for the upcoming trip 
was denied.  The DUC challenged the decision in court and 
prevailed; nevertheless, Dutch immigration will not confirm 
whether or when the Moons will be issued visas.  Post 
requests guidance from Washington.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) Wim Koetsier (President, Dutch Unification Church 
(DUC)) contacted POLOFF on October 11 to discuss an 
outstanding visa request for Unification Church founder Rev. 
Sun Myung Moon to visit the Netherlands on November 2 as part 
of a European tour.  Rev. Moon plans to be in the Netherlands 
for one day only, between stops in Switzerland on November 1 
and Slovenia on November 3.  According to Koetsier, Rev. and 
Mrs. Moon had been granted visas to the Netherlands on three 
prior occasions.  In each previous case, he added, the Dutch 
government had exercised an exception clause in the Schengen 
Treaty framework to issue the visas despite Germany's 
placement of the Moons on an EU list of persons to whom visas 
may not be issued. 
 
3. (SBU) Koetsier told POLOFF that he had presented several 
requests for an exception to the Schengen proscriptions to 
the Dutch Immigration and Nationalization Service (IND) in 
preparation for the upcoming visit.  Contrary to previous 
practice, however, the IND summarily denied each request. 
Koetsier gave POLOFF a copy of an IND reply, translated by 
Koetsier himself, to support his claim and stated that the 
DUC would challenge the decision in court. 
 
4. (SBU) On October 21, Koetsier informed POLOFF that the 
Amsterdam district court had ruled in favor of the DUC, in 
effect rejecting the GONL's rationale for denying the visa 
request.  He noted that the DUC's attorney hoped that IND 
would process the visa by October 28. 
 
5. (SBU) On October 26, POLOFF raised the matter with Hans 
Faber (Policy Advisor, IND), stressing the U.S. interest in 
upholding the principles of religious freedom in this and 
similar cases.  Faber confirmed that the DUC had prevailed in 
an Amsterdam District Court case and that the Moons 
previously had been granted visas pursuant to the exception 
clause.  Faber balked, however, when asked whether the IND 
would issue a visa in light of the court decision, explaining 
that the IND is currently "interpreting what you can and 
can't do" under the court's ruling. 
 
6. (SBU) Faber indicated that the Schengen Treaty framework 
conditions Rev. Moon's receipt of a visa on Germany's 
consent.  When asked when or whether he thought the Germans 
would consent, Faber demurred.  In a subsequent discussion 
with POLOFF, Koetsier asserted that the Germans had already 
consented to Rev. Moon's entrance in an October 17 letter. 
Koetsier expressed concern that the IND may revisit the 
question of German consent as a delaying tactic to avoid 
issuing the visa until it is too late -- a tactic he said had 
been used by other Schengen countries in the past. 
 
7. (SBU) On October 27, POLOFF discussed the matter with Jaap 
Christiaanse (Deputy Head, Western Hemisphere Affairs, MFA) 
and underscored the U.S. general concern for the preservation 
and promotion of religious freedom.  Christiaanse was unaware 
of the issue, but promised to bring it to the attention of 
his colleagues in the Consular Affairs Division. 
 
8. (SBU) COMMENT: The clock is ticking for the DUC's appeal; 
Faber's remarks indicate that the IND may indeed wait until 
time runs out rather than comply with the Amsterdam District 
Court's decision.  Post requests guidance from Washington in 
the event that the IND does not issue Rev. Moon a visa on 
October 28. END COMMENT. 
SCHOFER