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)