Buddhist temple caretakers turn down expulsion order

BOGOR (JP): A team of officials from the Bogor District Court and the city's social and political office called off on Wednesday a planned eviction of two caretakers from the Ho Tek Bio Vihara (Buddhist temple) after one threatened to commit suicide.

The two women, identified as Sukmawati Tanos, also known as Selvi, and her sister, Suryawati Tanos, were ordered by the court to leave the temple following an ongoing internal dispute with the local Buddhist community. Both women had reportedly been working in the temple for about 29 years.

The dispute started in 1997 when Selvi was accused by Buddhist members of an alleged involvement in a series of swindles of the temple's funds as well as selling temple property, such as candles and prayer necessities.

"I will not leave this temple till the day I die! I'd rather kill myself and die here," said Suryawati, holding a kitchen knife in her hand.

Hundreds of onlookers, mostly members of the local Buddhist community, had gathered around the temple.

Upon seeing the hysterical caretakers, officials quickly interrupted, grabbed the knife from Suryawati and secured both of them.

The officials postponed the eviction until next week. Details on the court order, however, were not available.

"The law must be enforced. They must leave!" shouted angry Buddhist members, who threatened to enter the temple and evict the two women.

The temple's Buddhist leader, Djihon Atmaja, reiterated that the order must be carried out. "We must follow the court order."

Two foundations who own the temple, the Dana Gun and the Rejeki and Kebajikan, have repeatedly asked Selvi to leave, but she refused, saying that she had taken care of the temple since her father worked there in 1969.

"I've tried to talk to her from the heart, but she refuses to listen," Anton Santoso, the head of the Rejeki and Kebajikan Foundation, said.

Buddhist members were reportedly tired of Selvi's attitude of treating the temple as her house over the years.

"According to the rule, a caretaker can serve for only two years ... we did not dare expel her then because we respect her parents," said a Buddhist member who asked not to be named.

The eviction is being handled by the Bogor administration pending further talks between the concerned parties. (21/edt)