http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/11/02/chinese-indonesians-offer-defiance-against-buddha-plan.html
Chinese Indonesians offer defiance against Buddha plan
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan | Tue, 11/02/2010 9:48 AM | The Archipelago
Chinese Indonesians in Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra, have vowed not comply with the local authority's instruction to dismantle a statue of Buddha.
"We will not bring our Buddha statue down. It hurts no one at the premises," Wenglie, who is considered a distinguished leader of the Chinese Indonesian community in the region, told The Jakarta Post.
Wenglie said he had received support from community members for refusing to relocate the statue presently at the Tri Ratna Temple.
Mayor Sutrisno Hadi instructed the dismantling of the statue in a circulation letter, citing pressure from a group of Muslims. The protesters have said that the statue faces Qibla, the direction Muslims face when praying.
The instruction was alledgedly the result of a conclusion made at a recent meeting that reportedly included the participation of a respected member of the local Chinese Indonesian community.
Wenglie shunned the joint agreement, saying that Suwanto Saima, who attended the meeting as
the chairman of Tri Ratna Temple, had been bullied into signing it. Suwanto died several days after the meeting.
Followers of Buddhism protested the circulation letter, saying that the plan was akin to a violation of religious freedom and a threat to the cherished Indonesian concept of "unity in diversity".
The local council plans to summon the mayor for clarification as part of an effort to avoid possible friction between members of different faiths.
"I'm sure people in Tanjung Bali have the intelligence to deal with the issue," Wenglie said.
Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali deplored the opposition to the plan, saying that the decision to remove the statue had been signed by all meeting participants.
The statue would be brought down and relocated elsewhere, he said, adding that he hoped the plan would not trigger inter-faith tension.
The minister was in Medan to attend a ceremony blessing the Shwedagon Temple in Brastagi, Karo regency, which was attended by around 1,300 Buddhist monks from 22 countries.
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