35.ブッダ・バー

おもしろいニュースがJakarta Postに載っていました。
ボチボチと意訳して紹介しましょう。

★Buddha Barは問題なしと官僚・議会が発言 (Jakarta Post Fri, 03/27/2009 )
ジャカルタ中心部のBuddha Barで友好的な雰囲気で官僚・議員・仏教会・レストラン代表が会食を行った。
官僚も議員もレストランの名称や営業許可について問題ないと合意した。
議会Ｂ委員会委員長Nurmansjah Lubis, 市観光協会長Arie Budhiman, インドネシア青年仏教会代表Lieus Sungkharisma の３者がレストランの視察を行った背景には、レストランには仏教系の学生から抗議や大衆のアクセス制限に関する質問、あるいは営業許可についての調査要求がされていたものである。
Nurmansjahは、市の歴史的建物でBuddha Barが何をしているのか視察するのが目的だと語った。

オランダ統治時代に建ったこの建物は以前はイミグレーション事務所だったが、1998年に個人所有となり、さらに放棄された。
市は再度購入し修復を行った。費用は350億RP(約5億円）
昨年2008年12月にフランス系のラウンジチェーンであるBuddha Barのアジア支店がこの歴史的建物を使うことになったのである。
Wednesday’s visit was a follow-up after a hearing between Commission B, the Tourism Agency and Buddha Bar management a day earlier at the City Council office. At the hearing,
Commission B speaker Aliman A’at said the Buddha Bar management had adequate permits to operate, thus ending the debate.
Previously, the Indonesian Corruption Watch said they were concerned that there might have been a conflict of interest behind the transformation of the 96-year-old Old Dutch building into a high-class restaurant.
Involved in the running of the restaurant is Renny Sutiyoso, daughter of former governor Sutiyoso, who approved the restoration of the building.
Nurmansjah said that all necessary permits for the running of a restaurant at the former immigration office had been obtained by Buddha Bar management. It won the tender over other private businesses for having the idea of using the building as an art gallery and restaurant.
The gallery, however, is only a small foyer at the entrance of the building with a few old pictures of the building. The issue of lack of public access has yet to be addressed; criticism arose over the building’s accessibility for the general public, as its current function as a high-class restaurant prevents people from all walks of life entering it.
That fear was proved Wednesday when Buddha Bar staff sent reporters to wait in the parking lot before the meeting. The Jakarta Post was not allowed to pass the front of the publicly-owned building to reach the parking lot, but was told to circle the outside of the venue to reach the said lot. The security guard said that only restaurant visitors were allowed entrance.
Buddha Bar representative Asdur Hasan Rani said the front garden of the venue would be easily damaged if they allowed people to walk in and see the building.
He said people were welcome at the restaurant during operating hours, which are from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Jakarta resident Verena Streitferdt, who occasionally visits the restaurant, said the place was nice and relaxing.
However, she said the government should not have spent so much on the purchasing and restoration of the building, only to make it into as exclusive a place as Buddha Bar, noting that the income generation from the rent of the building was not much. The Buddha Bar management has paid Rp 4 billion for a five-year period.



★メガワティ前大統領の娘PuanがBuddha Barの所有権を持たないことを言明(Jakarta Post Wed, 03/25/2009)
　　注記：メガワティは再再婚で３人の子供はすべて現在の夫との間にできた。
　　　　　M. Rizki Pramata, M. Pranada Prabowo and Puan Maharani　の３人で
　　　　　今回登場したのは末っ娘（でも３０代のハズ）
メガワティ前大統領の娘はBuddha Barと関係がないと弁護士を通じて発表した。
"依頼人PuanはBuddha Barのオーナー会社PT Nireta Vista Creativeとは関係がない"と。
"彼女の名前は会社の議事録に株主として記載されていない"
　　　　　ちょっとキレが悪いです。オーナー会社とは関係がないといいながら
　　　　　Buddha barとは関係なしとは言い切ってない（笑）
Puanは前市長の娘と共同で運営していたと以前に報道されている。前市長は建物の修繕を許可した本人。
The Buddha Bar, part of a global restaurant and lounge chain franchised by French company George V Entertainment, has been the subject of complaints from Buddhists, who object the name of their sacred leader being used for a bar. Buddha Barの所有に関しては市当局がリノベーション行っていることから議論の的になっている。
Jakarta市当局は2002年に280億ルピア（200万ドル）で建物を再購入（昔は市の建物だった）したうえに
2005年に61億ルピアもかけてリノベーションした。
　　　　　誰でもなぜ？と思うよね

★PuanはBuddha Barと無関係と弁護士が声明(Jakarta Post Tue, 03/24/2009)
In a notice sent to The Jakarta Post, the daughter of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri explains through a lawyer that she does not own Buddha Bar nor have any connection with the bar’s owner, PT Nireta Vista Creative.
“Our client, Puan Maharani, has nothing do to with PT Nireta Vista Creative, the company which owns Buddha Bar Restaurant and Lounge. Her name is not even listed as a shareholder in the company’s memorandum of association,” Puan’s lawyer, Juniver Girsang said in the statement.
Juniver clarified an article recently published in the Post that said Puan jointly ran Buddha Bar with the daughter of former Jakarta Governor, whose administration approved the restoration of the building.
The Buddha Bar has drawn complaints from Buddhists in the capital, who reject the use of the name of their sacred leader for a bar. A group called the Anti Buddha Bar Forum has asked the city administration to urge PT Nireta to change the bar’s name.
The bar is part of a global chain, franchised by George V Entertainment.
Ownership of the Buddha Bar has also raised questions as the city administration funded the renovation of the building, which used to be the Immigration Office.
The Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) has demanded the administration explain the ownership of the Bar. The head of the city tourism and culture agency, Arie Budhiman, said the building still belongs to the administration.
In 2005, the administration promised that it would work with private sector to transform the building into a “unique place” where all Jakartans could take part in many activities.
The Jakarta administration allocated Rp 28 billion (US$2 million) in 2002 to repurchase the building and spent an additional Rp 6.1 billion on its restoration in 2005.
★Buddha Bar問題について多宗教フォーラム(Jakarta Post Sat, 03/21/2009)
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, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.
The gathering, which will be held in Cut Meutia Mosque in Central Jakarta starting 8 p.m., will be attended by Nahdatul Ulema spiritual leader Abdurrahman Wahid, and Catholic scholar Franz Magnis Suseno.
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.
“As long as they change the name and replace all the Buddhist symbolism, we couldn’t care less on what’s going on inside the restaurant,” he said. (and)
★読者の意見　The Buddha Bar (Jakarta Post Sat, 03/21/2009)
William Shakespeare wrote in “Romeo and Juliet”: ...”What is in a name? That which we call a rose. By other name will smell as sweet.” This phrase perhaps came to the mind of the owner ― or owners as reported by some ― of the new Buddha Bar in Jakarta, after Indonesian Buddhists protested the use Buddha’s name for a bar, just one in an international-chain.
The location of the bar has also some into question as it occupies the historic immigration building in Central Jakarta. When the almost century old building was renovated, with tax payer money, the city authorities indicated that it would be converted into a public venue for cultural purposes.
It is very clear that it is only a matter of time before Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo closes down the hangout to avoid more protests, not just from Buddhists. The owners can only lament that Shakespeare’s saying is not enough to calm down the protesters. Big financial loses will be unavoidable because the bar opened only in December. The workers will only add to the very long list of jobless people in this country.
In Paris, where the Buddha Bar was established in 1996, or in other cosmopolitan cities, Buddha’s name perhaps becomes a magnet for visitors because of its exoticism. According to one Website, the bars offer their guests the opportunity to relax and enjoy cosmopolitan culinary dishes around a huge statue of Buddha.
But this is Indonesia. Shakespeare’s saying does not mean much for the Buddhists who are offended by the bar’s name. Some may argue that the protesters are just following the behavior of followers of other religions here, who are often over sensitive with anything they regard as offensive to their religion. These people often forget that their daily deeds are actually more offensive to their religion than those of the people they accuse of humiliating their faith.
It is also questionable why the owner of Jakarta’s Buddha Bar ― the daughter of former Jakarta governor Sutiyoso ―does not have even a little religious sensitivity. In Indonesia, religious issues often spark protests. It is very hard to imagine that the thought that allowing people to drink in front of a statue of Buddha might spark anger from Indonesian Buddhists never crossed the minds of the bar’s owners.
For many Indonesians, not just Buddhists, it is ridiculous that then name of Buddha has been used for a restaurant chain where visitors come to enjoy luxury food and drinks. A six-meter tall Buddha statue is erected inside the restaurant, as if acting as the protector of visitors, including those who drink too much.
Governor Fauzi Bowo must prioritize the preservation of the historical building; it is hard to believe that the city administration does not have enough funds for it. With a little creativity the building could be used to serve the public interests. The choice of name is not wise here, and this is a lesson for all of us.
Comments (1) | Post comment
Will Gomm (not verified) ― Sun, 03/22/2009 - 2:06pm
This bar should be closed and the historical bulding returned to public use. The owner (even if she is Sutiyoso's daughter) surely is liable for police charges concerning defaming a recognised religion.
This probably won't happen given the Sutiyoso family history of building without a permit (remember the villa in Puncak?) - but at least with elections looming in April and July voters should think twice about any Sutiyoso candidacy.


★Corruption watchdog seeks probe into Buddha Bar (JAKARTA POST Wed, 03/18/2009)
　建物外観
レストラン内部

Public building?: The building popularly known as the Old Immigration Office on Jl. Teuku Umar, Menteng, Central Jakarta, was purchased and renovated with taxpayer money, but now houses an upmarket bar and restaurant owned by the daughters of former top officials. JP/P.J. LeoPublic building?: The building popularly known as the Old Immigration Office on Jl. Teuku Umar, Menteng, Central Jakarta, was purchased and renovated with taxpayer money, but now houses an upmarket bar and restaurant owned by the daughters of former top officials. JP/P.J. Leo
The Buddha Bar seems to be going through a lot lately: Buddhist students’ protests, questions about the public’s limited access, and, most recently, a request for an investigation into its permits.
Operating for less than four months, the only Asian branch of the French lounge chain Buddha Bar, occupying the historical former Immigration building in the posh area of Menteng, Central Jakarta, has caused uproar in the capital.
Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni even urged the restaurant management to close down the restaurant following protests from several Buddhist students; he said such a name would prompt other bars to take up names like “Christian Bar or Islam Bar”. The entire hullabaloo, however, did not seem to affect the running of the restaurant.
The signature Buddha Bar lounge music played in the dimly lit cocktail room on a recent Thursday night, while clientele from the corporate world wound down sipping Rp 95,000 (US$8) cocktails on plush sofas. Upstairs, the six-meter-tall Buddha statue towered over the cavernous high-ceilinged dining room that could seat 240 people.
The Indonesian Corruption Watch head of Monitoring and Investigation Agus Sunaryanto said that, the religious issue aside, the public should question the dodgy circumstances behind the transformation of the 96-year-old Old Dutch building into a high-class restaurant.
The building, once owned and abandoned by the son of former president Suharto, Hutomo Mandala Putra, was repurchased by the city administration for Rp 28.9 billion in 2001. The city poured another Rp 6.1 billion in to repair it.
Buddha Bar is now jointly run by Renny Sutiyoso, the daughter of former governor Sutiyoso, who approved the restoration of the building, and the daughter of former president Megawati, Puan Maharani. The management of the bar rented the building for Rp 4 billion for five years.
“When we found out that Renny Sutiyoso was one of the owners, we were concerned that there had been a conflict of interest here. It is an asset of the city administration. There was a huge budget spent on the restoration and now the building is used by the private sector, in which the daughter of the former governor is involved,” Agus said.
“We hope that law enforcers have the initiative to investigate this.”
Buddha Bar manager Herry Prasetya refused to comment, saying that he was only responsible for the running of the restaurant.
Criticism also arises on the issue of the building’s accessibility for the general public, as its current function as a high-class restaurant prevents people from all walks of life entering it.
The administration in 2005, promised to transform it into a “unique venue” for Jakartans to share. The city administration even held a competition to garner ideas for the usage of the building.
Dastin Hillery won the competition with an idea to utilize the building in its initial function as an art gallery. Suci Mayang Sari and Agus Surja Sadana were the runners-up, with ideas to utilize the building as a place for an architectural community and a restaurant with a 19th century feel, respectively.
Runner-up Agus said if the city administration teamed up with the private sector on the running of the building, it was understandable it had become a high-class restaurant. The reason, he said, was simply bad public transportation in the area.
“The location is not strategic, only people with private cars can reach the area easily,” he said.
Head of the city’s tourism agency Arie Budhiman said earlier the bar had an art gallery that was open to public. During the visit, however, The Jakarta Post only found a foyer displaying pictures of the building.
City councilor Selamat Nurudin from Commission E overseeing culture and education said that maintenance for museums and art galleries was very expensive and the city budget could not afford to utilize the building as such.
“That’s why the city rented it out and the money will be used for the maintenance and operation of other museums in Jakarta,” he said.
With the amount of money the bar’s management pays to the city administration, it would take them more than 40 years to compensate for the Rp 35 billion taxpayers had to shoulder to purchase and renovate the building.
The city administration, however, did not respond to the question of when the public building could be enjoyed by a wider public and not just those with deep pockets.

所有権の変転:
. 1914 - 1942, オランダ政府の所有するアートギャラリ
. 1942 - 1945, 日本占領時代は Madjelis Islam Alaaの本部
. 1950s- 1997, Central Jakartaのimmegration事務所
. 1998 - 2002, スハルトの息子フトモHutomo Mandala Putraの会社PT Mandala Griya Ciptaが所有
. 2002 - 現在, ジャカルタ歴史博物館の所有
. 2008 - 現在, the building houses the Buddha Bar.

読者コメント(2件)
Muhammad Fauzi Hasibuan ― Fri, 03/20/2009
Giving a permit on opening a bar like this "Buddha bar " in Jakarta is very risky,even though there are a lot of people in Jakarta been expecting it, such as my self. but to open it on "Historical place" that should be belong to the public..it's a shame..having a father to get a privilege on venturing a business in time,s like this..shame on you, we are a different generation, not the "new Order" era.

Tomaso Tettamanti, スイス ― Wed, 03/18/2009
もし"Mohammed Bar"という名前だったらいつまで営業できるか想像できます。
非ムスリムへの宗教的不寛容の例です。
Relatives of high office holders get preferential financial help, but this wouldn't be corruption would it? It is just another example of the feudal regime masquerading as democracy.


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