Buddhist body expels two denominations<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is backing the decision by the
\nexecutive board of the Buddhist Council (Walubi) to expel two of
\nits nine denominations.<\/p>\n
Siti Hartarti Murdaya, head of Walubi's honors board, said
\nMinister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher gave his approval on
\nWednesday during a meeting with council leaders.<\/p>\n
The two denominations, Majelis Buddhayana Indonesia (MBI) and
\nSangha Agung Indonesia (Sagin) \"apply a different faith than most
\nother Buddhists\", she said.<\/p>\n
The expulsion, done in October, but not made public until this
\nweek, is the climax of a long tug of war between the two
\ndenominations and the other seven denominations. The conflict
\ndates back to the time that Walubi was founded in 1978 to bring
\ntogether all the Buddhist sects in the country under one forum.<\/p>\n
Hartarti told The Jakarta Post by phone yesterday that MBI and
\nSagin have continually attempted to dominate the council.<\/p>\n
At Walubi's national congress in December 1992, MBI and Sagin
\nrefused to endorse the council's newly drafted statutes and the
\nline-up of its new board of executives.<\/p>\n
Hartarti blamed the leaders of the two denominations. She said
\nthat the followers of the two denominations are welcome to join
\nthe other seven and become part of Walubi.<\/p>\n
Neither MBI nor Sagin representatives were available for
\ncomment yesterday.<\/p>\n
Hartarti accused the two denominations of causing the rift in
\nWalubi, by \"spreading false and inaccurate stories\" and creating
\n\"confusing rumors\" to disgrace Walubi leaders and lead the public
\nto think that they were incapable of managing the organization.<\/p>\n
\"We served them with three warnings, but they paid no
\nattention,\" she said. \"So last October we decided to expel them
\nfrom Walubi.\"<\/p>\n
She said MBI and Sagin rejected the decision. \"But we told
\nthem they were now under the government's responsibility and no
\nlonger had any connections with Walubi.\"<\/p>\n
She said that the two groups could no longer call themselves
\nBuddhist religious organizations overseen by the Ministry of
\nReligious Affairs. They are mass organizations which should be
\nregistered with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office.<\/p>\n
The council's internal dispute even reached the National
\nCommission on Human Rights as the opposing camps traded
\naccusations of human rights violations.<\/p>\n
In September, a group of Buddhist monks and lay persons from
\nMBI and Sagin complained to the commission about alleged
\nbrutality by their opponents in the council.<\/p>\n
A few days later, council leaders visited the commission's
\nheadquarters to deny the allegations.<\/p>\n
Hartarti said the stories were made up. \"After asking here and
\nthere, I found out that they were untrue.\" (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/buddhist-body-expels-two-denominations-1447893297",
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