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Unregulated temples vex ecologists

Buddhist Master Shih Chao-hui, left, executive committee member of the Nuke-4 Referendum Initiative Association, and former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chien Hsi-chieh, right, attend a sit-in outside the KMT Central Committee office yesterday to demand that the KMT deliver on its promise of creating a nuclear-free Taiwan. PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES

A recent controversy stirred up by Buddhist Master Wei Chueh (惟覺) about the link between religion and politics led to severe criticism not only from other Buddhist leaders, but also conservationists, who said unregulated temples run by arbitrary religious groups are the most devastating killers of fragile ecological systems in mountainous areas.

"All stakeholders' efforts to preserve the environment here will be eventually neutralized if the government tolerates eco-unfriendly activities cloaked by religious purposes," said Lai Wei-chieh (賴偉傑), secretary-general of the Green Citizens' Action Alliance (GCAA).

Huge temples and ossuary towers built on hills are common in Taiwan.

For decades it has been widely known that temple managers tend to have private roads to monasteries or cement retaining walls constructed without applying for permits from the government.

An old accusation that religious groups are damaging natural resources all over Taiwan was raised again last week -- this time by a religious leader. Last Tuesday, Wei Chueh, who heads the Chung Tai Chan Monastery (中台禪寺) in Puli, Nantou County, gave a hearty welcome to the pan-blue camp's presidential candidate, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), and his running mate, People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜).

"People's silence might assist in an environmental crime."

Yang Ping-yu, executive-general of the Takao Hill Park Association

Wei Chueh not only called on Buddhists to vote for Lien and Soong on March 20, but also encouraged his followers to boycott the referendum to express their opposition to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

In addition, Wei Chueh said the proposed Religious Groups Act (宗教團體法), which was drafted by the Executive Yuan as part of a DPP initiative, would infringe on religious groups' independence concerning financial and personnel matters. He said the passage of the proposed law would further "destroy religionists."

Two days later, Buddhist Master Shih Chao-hui (釋昭慧) condemned Wei Chueh's behavior as "inappropriate" at a press conference, accusing him of delivering false information about the proposed act in order to maintain the privilege he enjoys.

"Wei Chueh arbitrarily carried out constructions illegally and refused to be swayed by the government, because he disregards all laws and regulations," said Shih, who is also an associate professor at Hsuan Chuang University (玄奘大學).

Shih said that Wei Chueh harbored a burning animosity toward the proposed law, because it would regulate privileges that religious groups have enjoyed for too long.

According to Lin Pen-hsuan (林本炫), an assistant professor in religion and sociology at Nanhua University, the Religious Groups Act should be passed as soon as possible to put an end to religious administrations' exemption from most existing laws.

"We have never known how much they charge people for entrusting them with cinerary caskets, and how many people are involved, or how much money disciples dedicate," Lin said.

The Religious Groups Act, which is aimed at regulating "religious corporate organizations," would help to tackle problems such as illegal construction, occupation of state-owned lands and exemption from taxation, according to Lin, who helped draft the law along with representatives from five major religions about three years ago.

The current draft of the law, which is awaiting the approval of the Legislative Yuan, is based on common sense and has been endorsed by members of a religious counsel under the Ministry of the Interior, Lin said.

The Legislative Yuan's evaluation of the proposed act has been suspended because some opposition lawmakers would like to see another version of the bill implemented, which would enable dishonest religious groups to dodge the requirements of financial transparency and illegal construction, Lin said.

"No matter what, society needs sound regulations to watch over non-profit religious groups, whose actions have been tolerated by both the public and the government beyond logical thinking," Lin said.

Before sound regulations can be set up, attention must be given to religious groups lacking concern for the environment, said Yang Ping-yu (楊娉育), executive-general of the Kaohsiung-based Takao Hill Park Association (柴山自然公園促進會).

Yang said a huge temple on Takao Hill (柴山) -- a 330m-high hill that has long been home to rare plant species in Kaohsiung City -- has bowed to pressure from both the Kaohsiung City Government and environmental groups.

"The result came after years of residents' persistent fighting against those religious overlords, who have good political connections," Yang said.

For decades the hill has been popular among hikers due to its accessibility and the antics of a large population of Formosan rock macaque monkeys that live on the hill. Since the early 1990s, residents of Kaohsiung have been urging the local government to designate a clear scope inside which all development activities are prohibited. This goal was reached in 1999, when the local government issued regulations on an area that includes the temple.

"People's silence might assist in an environmental crime," Yang said.

Activists of the Taipei-based Green Formosa Front (GFF) carried out many community-based reconstruction projects in areas affected by the 921 earthquake in Nantou County.

GFF chairman Wu Tung-jye (吳東傑) said that many religious groups followed "feng shui (風水)," the ancient Chinese philosophy that governs spatial arrangement, to build temples on hills.

"Their inappropriate development activities inadvertently hurt ecological systems. Ironically, safety can't be assured at all," Wu said.

Wu said environmentalists look forward to the establishment of the Religious Groups Act, which is based on the promotion of sustainable development.
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