T

he management of the Buddha Bar have bowed to public pressure and renamed the controversial upmarket restaurant the Bataviasche Kunstkring, the building's original name.

PT Nireta Vista Creative, who manage the restaurant, took down the restaurant's sign, placed atop the entrance of the Dutch colonial building, on Tuesday.

The first Asian franchise of the French-owned lounge chain, however, will not change the concept of the restaurant, manager of Buddha Bar Henry Marheroso said. The restaurant will retain its Buddhist symbols, which include a six-meter-tall statue of the Awakened One in its cavernous dining room.

"For the concept *of the restaurant*, there's no changes," he told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

"We have no intention what so ever to hurt the Buddhist community in Indonesia. The taking down of the Buddha Bar name sign is a sign of respect of the management to Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni," he said in a statement.

Basyuni had previously urged restaurant management to close the venue, following protests from several Buddhist students. He said their actions would prompt other bars to use names like "the Christian Bar or the Islam Bar".

A request was made by the Anti-Buddha Bar Forum to the Justice and Human Rights Ministry's Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights Protection (Ditjen HAKI) to change the name or revoke the restaurant's brand license.

Head of the Anti-Buddha Bar Forum (FABB) Kevin Wu said the directorate general granted their request on April 15.

The group argued that under the 1883 Paris Convention on industrial wealth, no brand can contain religious attributes or other elements that may disturb society. The group argued that Indonesia should adhere to the Convention, as the country is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

FABB lawyer Sunarjo Sumargono said the HAKI directorate general had admitted its negligence in issuing the bar's brand license.

Kevin said they were waiting for the full extent of the revocation of the management's brand.

"We expect the management to change the name and take all Buddhist attributes out of the nightclub."

Kevin said the group will lodge a protest with the United Nations over the presence of other Buddha Bars in the world.

The Paris-based George V Entertainment, which owns a global chain of hotels, spas, restaurants and boutiques, is the franchisor of the Buddha Bar. The group uses various references to the Buddha in its businesses, which include the Siddharta Caf*, the Little Buddha Cafe and the Buddhattitude Spa.

The Indonesian Corruption Watch has also voiced concerned over a potential conflict of interest related to the conversion of the 96-year-old building into an upmarket restaurant. Renny Sutiyoso, daughter of former governor of Jakarta Sutiyoso, who approved the restoration of the building, is involved in running the restaurant.