TOKYO: Japan’s culture ministry plans to designate the Unification Church as a religious group subject to stricter monitoring of its assets under a special law to ensure relief to victims of malpractices involving the controversial religious organization, according to informed sources.

The ministry has notified the organization, formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, that it will be given an opportunity to explain itself in relation to the planned designation until March 1, the sources said Monday.

The designation will become official after the ministry consults with the Religious Juridical Persons Council based on explanations from the group.

The special law was enacted last December to keep closer tabs on assets held by a law-breaking religious group that the government seeks to dissolve, and to prevent any outflow of the assets before the dissolution order is issued.

A religious group will be designated under the law if it is believed to have produced a large number of victims. A designated religious group will be required to give notice one month in advance to authorities when disposing of its real properties and submit a list of its assets every three months.

If there is a possibility of its assets being hidden or lost, a religious group will be given a special designation that would allow victims to view its list of assets.

JIJI Press