Buddhists seek separate administrative body

Buddhists seek separate administrative body

JAKARTA (JP): Buddhist leaders are appealing to President
Soeharto to create a separate administrative body to tend to the
needs and affairs of their religious community.

The Indonesian Buddhist Council (Walubi) said ideally there
should be a separate directorate general in the Ministry of
Religious Affairs that looks after the needs of Buddhists.

The ministry currently treats the affairs of Buddhists and
Hindus in one directorate while separate individual directorates
represent Moslems, Christians and Roman Catholics.

The proposal for a separate directorate general was made by
Oka Diputhera, the secretary general of the upcoming Waisak, or
Buddha's Day of Enlightenment, when he lead a Walubi delegation
to the meeting with President Soeharto on Wednesday.

"President Soeharto smiled after we made our proposal," Oka
told reporters after the meeting.

There are currently some 4.5 million Buddhist followers in
Indonesia, the smallest of the country's five religious
communities.

Walubi is currently preparing for the coming 2,538th Waisak
Day on May 25 which will be centered at the Borobudur and Mendut
temples in Central Java.

Oka was accompanied at the meeting by Budi Setiawan, chief
organizer of Waisak Day, and Siti Hartati Murdaya of Walubi.

Budi said the President emphasized the need for the various
Buddhist denominations to strive for unity and also to work in
harmony with other religious communities.

Siti added that both the President and Vice President Try
Sutrisno, and their wives, have been invited to attend the 2538th
Waisak anniversary in Jakarta this July. (02)