John Brauns: Owner and web master of Hate Group web sites. Details of a blackmail attempt and various harassing activities. Brauns (top right) at a drunken Hate Group meeting - Latvia Club, UK. An earlier photograph At least three Hate Group web sites are registered under the name John Brauns, including EPO - a repository of misleading, excessively negative and defamatory material concerning Prem Rawat (Maharaji), his students, and organizations which support Mr Rawat's work. It includes a collection of articles by journalist, John Macgregor, convicted drug dealer Neville Ackland, and a deliberately altered transcript of an early instructor's manual. In an affidavit (April 2005), Macgregor exposes Brauns and the Hate Group and apologizes over the publication of his articles, explaining that he fell under the influence of the group at a time when he was emotionally vulnerable. He has asked that his articles be removed from Brauns' web site, however, Brauns continues to refuse this and other requests by people who no longer wish to be associated with the group. Brauns and his associates claim they are not a group, however, he lists the following contact information for his web sites: Maharaji Information Group Jokas Limbazi Pagasts Limbazi Rajons LV-4011 LV Phone: 371-9132456 Fax: Email: brauns@apollo.lv     Blackmail Attempt, December 2007 Brauns and a few of his associates masquerade as editors at the Wikipedia on-line encyclopedia, attempting to insert defamatory and/or improperly sourced material into an article on Prem Rawat in violation of Wikipedia's policies. On Dec 26, 2007, Brauns attempted to blackmail editors. After being warned to cease disruptive behavior, Brauns claimed to have been harassed (sans evidence) and stated, "You are making a serious mistake threatening me like this when I have information about many current followers that I have refrained from making public. All you have to do is enforce Wikipedia rules about BLPs and you and I will have no argument here." 26 December 2007 After additional warnings by an administrator, and faced with the possibility of being banned from the site, Brauns "unreservedly" apologized. Brauns the psycho quack During 2002, Brauns received an e-mail from an Australian man whose wife had attended five or six video events, and was interested in watching free-to-air satellite broadcasts of Prem Rawat. Brauns' replies were so alarming to the recipient that he circulated them, intact, to over 100 people on an internal e-mail system - without his wife's prior knowledge. Brauns' e-mails included this paranoia inducing gem. "I strongly recommend you read up on cult programming, and be very careful in trying to get her out. Admitting to being wrong for 16 years about something as important as the purpose of life is not easy, and the mind can react quite badly." Any reasonable person who has attended video events or watched a satellite broadcast will understand how loaded, inappropriate and alarmist this is. Brauns has had no formal training in psychology and appears to have had no training in counseling methodology. Reasonable advice would have been, "Try to discuss this calmly and openly with you wife and, if necessary, consult a qualified marriage guidance counselor." Divorce followed this unfortunate familial disruption. Brauns remains unrepentant. Brauns' view of assistance to tsunami survivors "I don't know whether you posted this as a joke or really believe that TPRF is a genuine humanitarian organisation," TPRF has a very impressive record of providing food and assistance to some of the world's most needy people. MAHARAJI HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT IMPROVING THE HUMAN CONDITION FOR OVER FORTY YEARS. "but I think donations would be better targeted at organisations who have extensive experience in disaster relief work, rather than extensive experience in producing videos of a rich playboy." Raj Vidya Kender (the Indian organization supporting Maharaji's work) has the equipment, skills and volunteer workforce to accommodate and feed up to 80,000 people for several days at a time, several times a year.THEIR EXPERIENCE AND HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. DON'T LET HATE BLIND YOU TO THE OBVIOUS, JOHN. "If you have a problem that you can't fix, you get in experts, you know, people with proven track records of fixing such problems." UNLESS THE PROBLEM IS SO HUGE THAT YOU NEED ALL THE HELP YOU CAN GET, EXPERT OR NOT. Volunteers give money, buy supplies, and transport and distribute those supplies. TPRF has an excellent track record. "TPRF have paid for (not transported or delivered) a few tons of rice" ONLY IN A HATE DISTORTED WORLD VIEW COULD PAYING FOR FOOD RELIEF BE CRITICISED. TPRF continues to provide several hundred free meals per day at one center and more such centers are planned. "and organised some eye tests (not fixed a single person's eyes)." FROM TPRF's WEBSITE - "Ophthalmologists and optometrists at the eye clinic provided 7,200 free consultations, medicines, and more than 4,300 prescription glasses. More than 650 cataract cases were diagnosed and referred for further treatment." CAN JOHN'S LYING BE ANYTHING BUT DELIBERATE? "If there are people associated with TPRF who want to help then they should either send money, or volunteer their time with those organisations who have experience of helping people after disasters." I'M SURE RVK AND TPRF ARE NOT WORKING IN A VACUUM AND I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY AGENCY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD THAT HAS ANY EXPERIENCE IN COPING WITH A DISASTER OF THIS MAGNITUDE. "TPRF have no experience of knowing what items are needed, where to get them, or how to deliver them." WATER, FOOD AND SHELTER TO THE SOUTH EAST COAST OF INDIA VIA TRUCK AND TRAIN "TPRF asking for funds to help tsunami victims is either stupid, arrogant, or (and I do hope this isn't the case) an evil attempt to cash in on the worldwide sympathy felt for them. John." YOU JOHN BRAUNS ARE DEMONSTRABLY ALL THREE: STUPID - BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SEE HOW ANY ORGANISATION IN INDIA WITH MONEY, EQUIPMENT AND EXPERIENCE IS DESPERATELY NEEDED, ARROGANT - BECAUSE YOU CANNOT CONCEIVE OF HOW STUPID AND NASTY ALL YOUR COMMENTS ARE, AND EVIL BECAUSE YOU ARE ACTUALLY USING THIS TRAGEDY AS AN EXCUSE TO VENT YOUR IRRATIONAL AND MISPLACED HATE. Brauns harassing activities inlcude the following: Inciting Harassment: Attempts to disrupt free assembly Brauns and his colleagues have contacted venue managers in the US and other countries, attempting to have Elan Vital events cancelled. During 2003 Brauns was monitored on the hate group's internet forum, attempting to incite others to harass attendees at events featuring Prem Rawat. He encouraged Neville Ackland to do this during 2002, and published Ackland's version of attempts to disrupt a four day event at Ivory's Rock Conference Center in Australia. Ackland appeared to be psychologically unstable. He was later convicted of drug offences and jailed. Malicious Activities Prior to events around the world featuring Mr. Rawat, Brauns and others have contacted the press and/or venue owners and staff, feeding them Hate Group propaganda. Click here to view examples. See also, www.one-reality.net/faq.htm Due to Brauns' attempts to influence the Malaysian media in 2003, The Malaysian Government is reported to have declared him persona non grata, i.e. placed him on a list of people who are not eligible to obtain a visitor's visa. Brauns sent a series of Press releases to Malaysian newspapers, Television Stations and Government Departments. He claimed that the event was aimed at "converting Muslims", that the Speaker was charging people huge amounts of money and that the purpose of the activity was to cheat Malaysian citizens. The Malaysian promoters of the event were able to easily demonstrate their 'Not for Profit' status to the satisfaction of Government Officials. Most attendees were Indian, Chinese and Foreigners - not Muslims. Moreover, Prem Rawat does not teach or promote a religion. Prem Rawat's Malaysian supporters include members of Malaysia's social and political elite. The reported declaration of persona non grata is likely to be correct, given the government's lack of tolerance towards those who try to interfere in Malaysian affairs. Brauns tried a similar stunt again in 2007, sending grossly misleading letters to authorities and/or media organizations in Malaysia. In January 2004, Brauns publicly supported similar activities by two associates who contacted Sky Radio in an effort to have Prem Rawat's message promoting peace removed from their play list. Solicitation to commit fraud Brauns has asked anyone with a valid smart card (electronic id card used to obtain entry to events and to access computer systems) if they are "willing to help in a little research." (Dec, 2003) Any such activity is illegal because the card is an electronic data device: such use qualifies as an attempt to obtain entry to an event, information, or access to a computer system by fraudulent means for an unauthorized purpose. Intimidation Attempt Brauns is fully aware of death threats and other threats made by people associated with the Hate Group. However, he continues to publish on the internet a stolen set of house plans which show the location of the Rawat family's bedrooms.   Reasonable requests refused From a correspondent, June, 2007 - "I wrote to the EPO web master (Brauns) twice to correct a factual inaccuracy and also remove the name and details of someone whose request for herdetails to be removed where ignored. Both my requests where ignored." Garry (Full name withheld due to the likelihood of harassment.) Opinions expressed in this article are those of the web master. I invite readers to assess all available evidence and to form their own opinions. The web master Acccurate information about the ex-premie Hate Group is available from the FAQ page of EVA's web site.