Indonesian Buddhists symbolically sealed the upmarket Buddha Bar in Jakarta urging authorities to immediately close the Paris-based entertainment franchise for blasphemy.

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.

One protester called Meta told AFP she would continue to fight until Jakarta's administration closed the bar or removed the Buddhist symbols: Buddhism is a religion and I can't accept that they treat our religion this way.

Another group of Buddhists is planning to sue the government for granting the bar an operating licence.

Update: Buddha Bar Barred

12th March 2009. Based on article from time.com

Indonesian hipsters looking for a place to chill in steamy Jakarta didn't have to look much further than the Buddha Bar. Last year, the posh establishment opened as the first Asian branch of an international chain. But on March 10, the Jakarta Legislative Council ordered the nightspot shuttered because its use of religious iconography could be considered offensive to Buddhists. In addition to its religiously inspired name, the restaurant's dining area is dominated by a giant Buddha sitting in the lotus position.

In early March, Buddhist students armed with nothing more menacing than joss sticks staged a protest against the Buddha Bar. They argued that a place called Muhammad Bar or Jesus Christ Bar would hardly meet with approval. The students demanded that the hotspot's name be changed, something the Jakarta Legislative Council has agreed must be a prerequisite for the Buddha Bar to reopen.

Update: Buddha Bar Barred...Not

14th March 2009. See article from thejakartaglobe.com

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said on Friday that the Buddha Bar had violated no city regulations and therefore his administration had no issues with it.

The city government has no dispute with Buddha Bar, said Fauzi, adding city regulations only dealt with the function of the building, not the name , which was the issue here.

If people disagree with the Buddha Bar, just bring the case to court, the governor said.

Update: Trying the blasphemy angle

15th March 2009. See article from thejakartapost.com

The Jakarta police told a group of protesters on Friday that it would summon the owner of the Buddha Bar for questioning over its alleged blasphemy.

If there is a formal report, we will examine it, Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Ike Edwin said at a rally in front of the restaurant. A group of protesters, members of the Indonesian Buddha Theravada Religion Assembly (Magabudhi), argued that the restaurants had incorporated Buddhist symbolism in inappropriate ways.

If proven guilty, owners of the restaurant could face up to five years imprisonment.

Update: Interfaith Forum

22nd March 2009. See article from thejakartapost.com

Indonesia's Interfaith Forum will hold a gathering of religious groups in a mosque in Jakarta on Saturday night to protest the establishment of the international restaurant chain Buddha Bar in the city.

There will be representatives from Islam, Catholic and other religions, said head of Indonesian Teravada Buddhist Assembly, Romo Samedho.

Samedho said protests against Buddha Bar would continue until the owners change the name of the restaurant and take out all symbolism of the Buddha from inside the venue. Such symbolism, he said, was inappropriate as Buddhist teachings never advised drinking alcoholic beverages and other types of hedonistic lifestyle.

Key religious figures have signed a petition to protest the use of religious icons by Jakkarta's Buddha Bar restaurant, calling for the owners to cease using the symbols for commercial purposes.

The more than 20 prominent petitioners included catholics, muslims and buddhists. The petition said the commercialization of a religion violated ethical and moral values in the society, and was tantamount to blasphemy, punishable by law in Indonesia.

They urged firm action by the government and city administration.

The protest was organized by the Anti-Buddha Bar Forum (FABB), consisting of mostly mainstream Buddhist groups in Indonesia.

The Buddha Bar, the only Asian branch of the French lounge chain, has received numerous protests from the local Buddhist community for its use of the name Buddha as the restaurant's name, and for its statues of the Buddha throughout the bar.

Forum head Kevin Wu said the FABB demanded the bar change its name and shed any Buddhist themes. He added the FABB had reported it to the police for blasphemy: However, the police investigation has been slow.

FABB lawyer Sugianto said the police had told them to relax.

A witness has refused to testify in a Buddha Bar trial, fearing mounting protests by 'enraged' opponents.

Kurnia Girsang, counsel for the Buddha Bar, told the Jakarta Globe that neither the Central Jakarta District Court nor the police could guarantee the safety of the expert witness, whom he refused to identify.

The bar's owner, Nireta Vista Creative, is being sued by the Anti-Buddha Bar Forum (FABB) for alleged blasphemy and violation of business rules mandating respect of state-sanctioned religions. The FABB slammed the bar's use of Buddha's name and Buddhist decorations.

On July 21, one of the defendant's witnesses, Budiman Sudharma, was threatened by an angry mob from the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) and Red and White Troops (Laskar Merah Putih).  A week later, around 300 FABB members protested outside the Buddha Bar on Jalan Teuku Umar, demanding that the club be shut down.

The court's verdict is set to be delivered two weeks after Aug. 18, which is the deadline for both parties to submit their concluding arguments.

An Indonesian court has ordered the local branch of Paris-based Buddha Bar to close after convicting the licence holder of blasphemy, a lawyer said.

It also ordered licensee PT Nireta Vista Creative, the official Jakarta tourism agency and Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo to pay damages of one billion rupiah (110,000 dollars) to the plaintiffs for distress.

The city authorities had failed to consider the religious sensitivities when they approved the licence, the judges said.

Central Jakarta district court spokesman Sugeng Riyono confirmed that judges ordered the bar to close as an unlawful act had been committed.

The plush lounge bar and restaurant is the France-based chain's first franchise in Asia, but it sparked protests almost from the moment it opened in late 2008 in an upmarket area of central Jakarta.

Its trademark Oriental styling -- including a large sitting Buddha figure which dominates the bar area -- 'infuriated' Indonesia's Buddhist minority, who organised protests and a legal challenge.

The owners of the bar reportedly vowed to appeal the court's decision, which could have implications for other hotels, bars and restaurants that feature decorative statues of Buddha.

Update: Appeal

8th September 2010. Based on article from thejakartaglobe.com

The Jakarta city administration has appealed a court ruling that found Governor Fauzi Bowo and the Jakarta Tourism Office guilty of violating multiple laws when they approved a permit for the controversial Buddha Bar.

The charges included blasphemy and breaking laws concerning business and tourism that mandate respect for state-sanctioned religions.

Made Suarjaya, a legal officer with the administration pointed out that: the bar has changed its name, the [Tourism Office] urged it to do so.

The bar opened in Central Jakarta in December 2008. The management last year restored the colonial name of the building housing the bar, Bataviasche Kunstkring, but the decorations and theme were not changed and patrons continued to refer to it as Buddha Bar.

Meanwhile the Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights Protection (Ditjen HAKI) under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights is seeking to revoke the nightclub's brand-registration certificate in response to the controversy over its name.

Update: Asking for the judges to be investigated

26th September 2010. Based on article from thejakartaglobe.com

A Buddhist group that backed the city in allowing the Buddha Bar to open will file a complaint against judges at the Central Jakarta District Court who ordered the bar closed.

Lieus Sungkharisma, the chairman of the board of supervisors at Gemabudhi, or Indonesian Buddhist Youths, said that his organization would file the complaint with the Judicial Commission. Lieus accuses the judges of ruling unfairly against the bar's owners, Nireta Vista Creative, as well as Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo and the Jakarta Tourism Agency.

The move comes three weeks after the court ordered the bar to close immediately. Judge FX Jiwo Santoso ordered the owners to pay Rp 1 billion to the Anti-Buddha Bar Forum, or FABB, for mental distress.

Gemabudhi pointed out that the figure was twice the amount demanded by the plaintiffs. That is troubling. We are not disputing anything else, but that, Lieus told the Jakarta Globe. Citing Indonesian civil law and 1970 Supreme Court jurisprudence, Lieus said the judge should not have gone beyond the parties' claims.

Established to monitor the performance of judges and to ensure impartiality in courts nationwide, the Judicial Commission is mandated to interrogate judges over irregularities in verdicts and recommend punishment, which could range from warning letters to dismissals.