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The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist group in the country, launched a campaign Monday against what it says is the Lee Myung-bak administration's religious bias with a solemn ceremony at the Jogye Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The Ven. Hyegyeong takes on the first leg of a relay hunger strike that will continue until Aug. 23.
The Jogye Order also plans to stage one-man relay demonstrations in front of Cheong Wa Dae and the central government complex in Sejongno, Seoul, for the same period.
Leaders of other Buddhist sects and organizations on Monday held an urgent meeting to discuss a response to what they say is religious discrimination by the government, including a congress of Buddhists to be held at the Jogye Temple on Aug. 23.
President Lee is a devout evangelical Christian.
Earlier, the Jogye Order launched a complaint center for religious discrimination cases on its website. It vowed to ˇ°build religious peace and achieve national harmony by realizing the freedom of religion as guaranteed by the Constitution and preventing public servants from discriminating against certain religions.ˇ± The online center will accept reports on complaints about religious bias or discrimination suffered by Buddhists and other ordinary people in their daily lives, it said. The complaints will be handled by the Jogye Order's Religious Peace Council.
In a bid to defuse the situation, Maeng Hyung-kyu, the senior presidential secretary for political affairs, and Kang Yoon-koo, the senior presidential secretary for social policy, visited the headquarters of the Jogye Order and met with its supreme leader.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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