The trendy bar opened its
first Asian franchise here late last year, renovating a historic
former immigration building in the plush Menteng part of town and
decorating it with large Buddha statues and images. -- PHOTO:
REUTERS
About 150 mainly student protesters carrying joss sticks and
flowers gathered outside the bar in a wealthy neighbourhood of the
capital and denounced its decorative use of sacred symbols and
statues.
They chanted Buddhist prayers and carried banners reading
'Remove all Buddhist symbols from the bar' and 'Change your name or
close forever'.
A handful of police watched calmly as the protesters then
'sealed' the main entrance with fake yellow crime scene tape. The
bar was closed at the time.
'For us, Buddha is our revered teacher. But for them, Buddha is
a decoration and the worst thing is the statues are in such an
indecent place,' protest coordinator Eko Nugroho said.
The trendy bar opened its first Asian franchise here late last
year, renovating a historic former immigration building in the
plush Menteng part of town and decorating it with large Buddha
statues and images.
It is believed to be part-owned by Puan Maharani, the daughter
of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, and former Jakarta
governor Sutiyoso's daughter, Renny Sutiyoso.
Seven protesters were invited to present their objections to the
bar's managers, who did not comment to the media.
Another group of Buddhists is planning to sue the government for
granting the bar an operating licence, and is not deterred by the
high-profile owners of the franchise, a spokesman said. -- AFP.