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O - A major Japanese Buddhist temple withdrew Friday from a plan to host the Beijing Olympics torch relay, citing safety concerns and sympathy among its monks and worshippers for Tibetan protesters facing a Chinese crackdown. Zenkoji Temple has refused to serve as the starting point for the April 26 relay, said Kunihiko Shinohara, secretary-general of the Nagano city organizing committee for the event. The relay has drawn protests around the world against China's crackdown on Tibetan demonstrators."We respect the temple's decision. This means the starting point will change," he said after he met with Zenkoji monks.
Another city official, Koichi Yajima, said the monks were concerned about the safety of the temple and its worshippers should the relay spark the angry demonstrations it has brought in Europe and the United States.
An official at the temple's secretariat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the temple and its worshippers were also concerned about the treatment of fellow Buddhists in Tibet.
"There have been a lot of talk about the Tibet issue and the public opinion is heightening," she said. "We are Buddhists just like them. We hear words of concern from many people every day."
The government in Tokyo said it planned to provide adequate security for the relay.
"The relay went smoothly in some spots and got disrupted in other places overseas. We want to prevent disruptions with thorough security," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said.
The torch relay was to start from the famous temple, taking runners through the city for 18.5 kilometers (11.5 miles).
Nagano, the host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, has already canceled a post-relay event because of security concerns.
Since its start March 24 in Greece, the torch relay has been a magnet for critics of China's policies in Tibet. Protesters disrupted stops in London, Paris and San Francisco, helping make the games among the most contentious in years.
The Olympic flame, which arrived in Thailand on Friday under tight security, is to arrive in Japan from Australia and then travel to Seoul, South Korea.
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注:神道与佛教是日本的主要宗教,其中神道是在日本本土所发展出来的宗教。大多数日本人并不信奉某一特定宗教,但是许多宗教仪式或活动已经与日本人的生活融为一体,如婚礼和葬礼。许多人由於历史的原因以及科学的发展而对宗教不关心,但生老病死的一生中也关系到多种宗教。
佛教目前主要流行于中国(30%)、日本(71%)、韩国(23%)、蒙古(93%)等东亚地区以及泰国(94%)、柬埔寨(93%)、缅甸(90%)、越南(50%) |
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