Removal Of Buddha Statue In Indonesia

The Religious Affairs Ministry has ordered a large Buddhist statue in North Sumatra to be taken down after it raised the ire of Muslims in the area.

The problem in North Sumatra started after a number of people calling themselves GIB / Gerakan Islam Bersatu (United Islamic Movement) began to consider the Buddha statue in Tri Ratna a threat to Islamic faith in the city. They argued that the statue could upstage the city's historical symbol �Balai di Ujung Tanduk' located in front of it


Budi Setiawan, the ministry�s director general of Buddhist affairs, said that the decision to remove the six-meter-high statue in Tanjung Balai was final and could not be appealed.

He said discussions in October among Buddhists, the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) and the local government resulted in an agreement to dismount the figure, which sat on top of a three-story temple in Vihara Tri Ratna Kota. This claim, however, has been disputed by the Buddhists.

Veryanto Sitohang, head of the Buddhist United Alliance of North Sumatra (ASB), condemned the decision , saying it �clearly violated human rights and law� by siding with Muslims.