Mon, Sep 20, 1999 page4

• Protesters crash religious ceremony

  AVOIDING CONFLICT A monk who was to hand over the leadership to a successor stayed away to avoid `disturbances,' as a nun claiming to have been raped by him staged a protest with sympathizers

  • By Brian Hsu / STAFF REPORTER
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  Playing secretly recorded tapes through loud speakers and making accusations in front of a curious crowd, a Buddhist nun who claimed to have been raped by a respected elderly monk yesterday turned what was supposed to be a solemn religious ceremony into a fiasco, with loudspeakers playing what can only be regarded as decidedly secular content.

  The monk, known as Master Juhsu (如虛), had planned to preside at a ceremony at a Taipei monastery yesterday, but failed to show up to avoid "disturbances."

  In the absence of the master, Miaowen (妙文) -- the nun making the accusations -- demanded that Juhsu take off his cassock and apologize to her for what she said was his alleged sexual offenses against her. Miaowen has filed charges of rape against Juhsu, who was her master 12 years ago at a Buddhist temple in Taichung, central Taiwan.

  

  Miaowen, left, staged a protest yesterday in front of a Buddhist center accusing the head of the Hukuo Temple, Juhsu, of raping her. The 40-year-old Buddhist nun also claimed at least four other nuns had been sexually assaulted.

  PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

  The 40-year-old nun claimed to have spoken to four other nuns who said they had been sexually assaulted by the same man.

  Miaowen and dozens of her sympathizers, before hearing of his decision to stay away, had expected to confront Juhsu during the hand-over ceremony, and brought with them loud speakers and banners.

  But Juhsu, who was initially scheduled to hand over the leadership to his successor during the ceremony, issued a statement claiming he had remained absent mainly to "avoid potential disturbances."

  Juhsu claimed innocence over the rape charges, accusing Miaowen in return of slandering him over his refusal to give her NT$15 million. Neither party has made any mention of exactly what the amount was for.

  Taichung County Deputy Magistrate Kingbow Y.H. Chen (陳雨鑫), a spokesman special for the ceremony, said that Juhsu was "advised not to come so as to leave no place for any argument."

  Chen added that the lack of his presence would be "like shooting without a target."

  Outside the Hui-jih Lecture Hall (慧日講堂), where the ceremony was taking place, Miaowen played over a set of loudspeakers what she claimed were secretly recorded tapes of conversations between she and Juhsu.

  The tapes contained strong sexual overtones. The noise, which clearly embarrassed and angered the Buddhist officials involved in the ceremony, eventually prompted them shut the door and ask for the police to take action to stop it.

  ROC Buddhist Temple Association director Shih Chao-hui (釋昭慧) later blasted Miaowen for punishing all Buddhists with her behavior, which she said was "not in the Buddhist tradition."

  Miaowen's spokesman, Yang Ching-hai (楊清海), a former agent of the Investigation Bureau, said he had checked the authenticity of the tapes before he promised to help Miaowen, after hearing suggestions that they had been tampered with.

  Yang admitted that Miaowen had planned what she wanted from the conversation, prior to the call with Juhsu, which she recorded without him knowing it.

  "According to my own judgement on the basis of evidence provided by Miaowen, I think she is telling the truth," Yang said.

  "Miaowen has also recorded testimony against Juhsu from her Buddhist seniors, who know Juhsu quite well," he said.

  Yang said that NT$200,000 in cash had changed hands between Miaowen and Juhsu in the past, but said it had nothing to do with the alleged sexual offenses.
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