Sept 01, Jakarta: an Indonesian court had ordered to immediately close the local branch of Paris-based Buddha Bar, an international chain of upscale bars, for causing mental distress over using Buddha’s name, Indonesian daily Jakarta Globe reported today.

The Central Jakarta District Court has ordered on Wednesday the owners, Nireta Vista Creative, as well as Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo and the Jakarta Tourism Agency to pay a fine totaling one billion rupiah (110,000 dollars) to the plaintiffs, the Anti-Buddha Bar Forum, for mental distress.

The court has convicted the owner for blasphemy and violations of laws mandating respect for state-sanctioned religions.

The judge has said the Governor Fauzi and the tourism agency had been fined for allowing the company to operate in Jakarta. The city authorities had failed to consider the religious sensitivities when they approved the license, he has said.

"The [Governor] did not respond pro-actively in the case and the agency has failed to consider the religious and cultural development in the society and ended up offending them," the judge was quoted in the Globe.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister raised concern some time ago over the use of Buddha's name of the chain and urged the island's foreign missions to collect more information on whether activities demeaning to Buddhism are being carried out at the bars.