Six Singaporean Nationals Arrested in Biratnagar for Illegal Religious Activities

Biratnagar. It has been revealed that Koh Wee Hock, a Singaporean national who entered Nepal on a tourist visa to conduct illegal religious propaganda and training, has traveled to and from Nepal 36 times since 2016.

Police arrested him along with five other Singaporean citizens on Saturday morning in Biratnagar. Hock is identified as the primary individual responsible for leading the religious propaganda and training sessions.

The group was taken into custody by police on Saturday from the conference hall of Hotel Eastern Star, located in Biratnagar Metropolitan City-12. Led by Hock and Loh Lee Peng, the team was secretly conducting a religious program related to the Laughing Buddha. Police seized their passports, confirming that all six individuals are Singaporean citizens who entered Nepal on tourist visas. The arrested individuals are Koh Wee Hock, Loh Lee Peng, Lee Beng N, Loh Lee Tian, Ong Chiu Kok, and Chiu Teck Fok.

Six foreigners arrested for religious propaganda at a hotel in Biratnagar

The program was found to be providing training to 12 Nepali teenage girls under the age of 16 (aged 12-13). A Nepali woman named Nira Rajbhandari was also participating in the event. They were conducting the training with a statue of the Laughing Buddha placed in the hotel hall. 'Children aged 12-13 and women were specifically gathered here for religious propaganda. They were conducting the program very secretly with the hotel curtains drawn. One cannot do such things after entering on a tourist visa,' a source said. 'It was like a closed room. No one was allowed to enter. It was a suspicious activity.'

During the investigation, it was revealed that this group has been conducting organized religious activities in Nepal for a long time. 'Passport records show that the main leader, Singaporean citizen Koh Wee Hock, has arrived and departed from Nepal 36 times since 2016,' a security source stated.

They had been organizing secret programs in hotels, specifically targeting women and young children to promote their religion in an organized manner. Sources claim that they had previously rented a house in Udayapur district to conduct similar suspicious activities.

Engaging in religious activities while on a tourist visa is a direct violation of immigration laws. Saroj Koirala, Assistant Chief District Officer of Morang, confirmed that the foreign nationals were arrested for acting against the law. 'They were arrested after it was found that they were propagating and teaching about Buddhism while on a tourist visa. No foreign national on a tourist visa is allowed to teach or propagate religion in this manner without the permission of the Government of Nepal,' Koirala said. 'They are currently under the control of the Nepal Police.'

It is reported that preparations are underway to send them to the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu for further action regarding the violation of Nepal's immigration laws.

What is the Laughing Buddha?

The Laughing Buddha is essentially a form of Budai (the future Buddha/Maitreya), worshipped in Chinese Buddhist tradition and folk religion. Traditionally, it is considered a symbol of happiness, peace, luck, and prosperity. However, in recent times, various neo-religious sects have become active in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan based on this figure.

These sects, which differ from traditional Buddhism, operate secret networks claiming to share a unique form of spiritual knowledge and a path to liberation. Such groups often blend Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian philosophies to promote their own agendas. It has been observed that they specifically target women, young children, and the underprivileged, attracting them under the guise of meditation, promotion, and training, eventually leading to conversion. The fact that most of those gathered in Biratnagar were young girls and women makes the group's objectives appear highly suspicious.