Longquan Monastery abbot Shi Xuecheng is accused of harassing and demanding sexual favours from numerous nuns in a 95-page statement compiled by two fellow monks at the centre of Buddhist learning in Beijing.
The statement including evidence from the alleged victims leaked this week on social media, prompting an outcry and unusual coverage by state media before it was censored.
China’s State Administration of Religious Affairs said it would investigate the claims. Xuecheng and the monastery denied the accusations, which also included claims of embezzlement.
It is unclear if Xuecheng is still serving as abbot. Shi Xianqi, a monastery deacon who had reported the abbot, said he and the other whistleblower, Shi Xianjia, had been expelled from the monastery and were co-operating with the government investigation.
Xuecheng, who heads the Buddhist Association of China and serves on a political advisory body to the central government, is the latest high-profile man to fall under scrutiny as China’s #MeToo movement accumulates momentum.
Well-known university professors, activists and media figures have been accused online and placed under investigation, with at least one dismissed from his post, as more women speak out despite the risk of censorship and official retribution.
Xuecheng, 51, is a well-known religious figure in China, having published numerous books and daily…
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