Buddhist leader quits after nun sex scandal

THE head of China’s government-run Buddhist association resigned yesterday amid an investigation into allegations that he coerced nuns into having sex with him.

Xuecheng, abbot of the Longquan Monastery, Beijing, is one of the most prominent figures to face accusations in China’s own #Metoo movement.

In a 95-page report last month, two monks accused Xuecheng of sending explicit text messages to at least six women, cajoling them to have sex with him by claiming it was part of their Buddhist studies.

Religious authorities launched an investigation shortly after the allegations went public and Xuecheng, 51, stepped down at a meeting of the Buddhist Association of China.

“The council accepted Xuecheng’s resignation,” said a statement tucked into a long report of council matters, but it neither elaborated on the reasons nor referred to the investigation. His resignation was welcomed by many online, one calling him a “vulture who takes from the poor”.

One user wrote on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter: “Sexual assault, if established, is something against the law and should not be protected by politics.”

The abbot is a member of the Communist Party and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a top advisory board.

A prominent personality in Chinese Buddhist life with a social media following of millions, his Weibo account has been silent since Aug 1, when he posted a statement rejecting the allegations of sexual misconduct.

In their report, the monks, no longer members of the monastery, stated that four of the nuns had given into Xuecheng’s demands. One monk added on social media that he had felt compelled to speak out after the victims’ complaints had been ignored by the authorities.