[Buddha-l] The situation in South Korea

[Weng-Fai Wong]

SEOUL: South Korean Buddhists are protesting against what they see as
religious bias by the government of President Lee Myung Bak, a devout
Christian.

The outcry, rare in a country which guarantees freedom of religion, is
indirectly triggered by months of street rallies against United States beef
imports amid fears of mad cow disease.

Seven activists wanted by police for leading violent anti-beef protests took
refuge in the Jogye-sa temple, headquarters of the largest Buddhist order of
Jogye, in central Seoul early last month.

The 1,200-year-old order has around eight million followers, making it South
Korea's largest religious sect.

Tensions grew late last month after police stopped a car carrying Reverend
Jigwan, the order's respected head monk, outside the temple and searched the
boot.

Police chief Eo Cheong Soo later apologised and disciplined two senior
officers.

However, some Buddhists accused police of treating the head monk like a
criminal and called for the police chief's resignation.

'President Lee's favouritism of Christianity has led to the government's
unequal treatment of different religions,' Reverend Hyegyeong, head of the
Jogye order's administrative office, said yesterday.

'We are indignant at such an intentional act by police. This is a typical
case of discrimination against Buddhism,' he said, watching a rally outside
the Jogye-sa temple by around 40 followers demanding Mr Lee's apology.

Leaders of major Buddhist orders met on Monday and agreed to hold a joint
rally on Aug 27 against what they called President Lee's
Christianity-friendly policy.

They want legislation to ban religious discrimination and an apology for the
search from Mr Lee, who is an elder at a Presbyterian church.

A senior monk has gone on hunger strike, and several others have taken turns
to go on temporary hunger strikes at the temple gate as well as outside Mr
Lee's official residence to offer symbolic support.

The Jogye order has even launched a complaint centre for religious
discrimination cases on its website.

Christianity has grown rapidly in recent decades, overtaking Buddhism as the
dominant religion in South Korea.

About 30 per cent of South Korea's 49 million people are Christians,
compared to 22 per cent for Buddhists. A century ago, South Korea was deeply
Buddhist, with only a few thousand Christians.

Besides the police treatment of Reverend Jigwan, Buddhists are also upset
over an online map published by two ministries showing locations of Seoul's
Christian churches but not major Buddhist temples.

Education Minister Ahn Byong Man has apologised and vowed to correct the
map.

He and other officials insisted it was just an individual's oversight.

'President Lee is always neutral. He does not favour a certain religion,' a
government official said on condition of anonymity.

'The President and his staff have been very cautious on religious matters.'

However, even some Christian groups feel that the South Korean government
has blundered.

In a joint news conference with the Korean Youth Buddhist Association and
several other youth religious groups yesterday, the Ecumenical Youth Council
in Korea said the government's recent actions undermined peace among
different religious groups, public broadcaster KBS reported.

The groups called for the enactment of a non-discrimination law to ban
discrimination against, or preferential treatment of, any religious group.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE