High monk away after allegations of misconduct

beijing - One of the most prominent Chinese monks has stepped down as chairman of the Buddhist Association of China. The Chinese authorities previously announced that they would investigate this master Xuecheng, the abbot of a temple near Beijing. He was accused of sexual misconduct.

Two monks had previously prepared a 95-page document with allegations to Xuecheng. The document, which circulated on Chinese social media, included images of explicit text messages that would have been sent by the abbot. He would have harassed women and directed sex.

Xuecheng refuted the accusations. The monk said on Weibo's message site that the allegations stem from 'twisted facts' and 'fabricated material.' 'The Buddhist Association announced the departure of the president, but did not explain in detail about the underlying reasons.