Thread: Buddhist group slams PDRC abbot

Buddhist group slams PDRC abbot
21/01/2014


Luang Pu Buddha Issara is accompanied by PDRC guards inside the Chaeng Wattana government office complex building.
(Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)

The Buddhist Organisation of Thailand on Tuesday lodged a police complaint against Luang Pu Buddha Issara, a core member of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), accusing him of breaching the monkhoods' code of conduct.

Organisation secretary-general Sathian Promma said after filing the complaint at the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok that Luang Pu Buddha Issara had violated the Buddhist Monk Act, which prohibit monks from being involved in politics.

Mr Sathian said the organisation has also accused the 58-year-old abbot of Wat Or Noi in Nakhon Pathom of violating Section 113 of the Criminal Code, relating to insurrection, because he led protesters to besiege state buildings during the PDRC's Bangkok shutdown campaign aimed at forcing caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to resign.

On Tuesday morning, Luang Pu Buddha led a group of PDRC demonstrators from the Chaeng Wattana government offices complex to the adjacent head offices of state-owned telecom operator TOT Plc and Thailand Post. There was no report of violence.

bangkokpost.com

Originally Posted by Mid

Mr Sathian said the organisation has also accused the 58-year-old abbot of Wat Or Noi in Nakhon Pathom of violating Section 113 of the Criminal Code, relating to insurrection, because he led protesters to besiege state buildings

Yup, he'd be in jail for that in most other countries

What would Siddartha Gautama do....?

Originally Posted by Rural Surin

What would Siddartha Gautama do....?

close down all wats for a start!

make him take his dress off.

Pervert

Originally Posted by Mid

Buddhist group slams PDRC abbot
21/01/2014


Luang Pu Buddha Issara is accompanied by PDRC guards inside the Chaeng Wattana government office complex building.
(Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)

The Buddhist Organisation of Thailand on Tuesday lodged a police complaint against Luang Pu Buddha Issara, a core member of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), accusing him of breaching the monkhoods' code of conduct.

Organisation secretary-general Sathian Promma said after filing the complaint at the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok that Luang Pu Buddha Issara had violated the Buddhist Monk Act, which prohibit monks from being involved in politics.

Mr Sathian said the organisation has also accused the 58-year-old abbot of Wat Or Noi in Nakhon Pathom of violating Section 113 of the Criminal Code, relating to insurrection, because he led protesters to besiege state buildings during the PDRC's Bangkok shutdown campaign aimed at forcing caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to resign.

On Tuesday morning, Luang Pu Buddha led a group of PDRC demonstrators from the Chaeng Wattana government offices complex to the adjacent head offices of state-owned telecom operator TOT Plc and Thailand Post. There was no report of violence.

bangkokpost.com

Leading the cows to the slauterhouse comes to mind. Just sayin. It's always amazed me that a Thai will follow anyone.

Where's Fluke when you need him?...

Ho - hum

Buddhist monks lead anti-government 'Red shirt' protesters.

Monk emerges as key figure in Thailand anti-govt movement
Wednesday January 29, 2014


Protest monk: Buddha Issara speaking to the press during a rally in Bangkok.
AFP

BANGKOK: A saffron-robed monk takes to the stage in the Thai capital and urges cheering protesters to fight a “black-hearted” government – testing a taboo in the devout kingdom about clerics getting involved in politics.

Since opposition protests broke out in Bangkok three months ago, Luang Pu Buddha Issara has emerged as a key figure in the anti-government movement, organising prayers and addressing the crowds, with rally leader Suthep Thaugsuban sitting at his feet in a sign of respect.

He is even in charge of his own rally site, one of several set up around Bangkok by demonstrators seeking to force Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office and to end the political dominance of her billionaire family.

The protest monk rails against the embattled premier and her brother Thaksin, who was deposed in a military coup in 2006 and lives in Dubai to avoid prison for a corruption conviction.

“The government, which is run by the Shinawatra family – the brother and sister – has no morality or ethics. They are corrupt and they allow corruption to happen. They lie everyday,” said the 58-year-old, who has also been outspoken about scandals involving the bad behaviour and lavish lifestyles of some clerics.

“The religious domain has a duty to tell the secular domain what to do – and what not to do,” he said, justifying his role at the vanguard of the protest movement.

But not everybody is happy with his activism.

“Monks cannot get involved with politics,” said Nopparat Benjawattantnun, director-general of Office of National Buddhism, the official organisation in charge of overseeing the behaviour of monks.

“But he has not stopped,” said Nopparat, who has written to authorities in Nakhon Pathom province – home to Buddha Issara’s temple – telling them bring him into line.

The protest monk is also the subject of a complaint by the Buddhist Association of Thailand, a non-governmental organisation.

“Monks can have personal feelings but political expression is banned according to Sangha regulations,” said the association’s secretary Sathien Wipornmaha, adding that Buddha Issara “destroys the image of Buddhism”.

Buddhist monks have openly played a political role elsewhere in Southeast Asia, such as during a failed uprising against the former junta in neighbouring Myanmar in 2007.

In Thailand, where some 95% of the population are practising Buddhists – one of the highest rates in the world – many believe that the country’s tens of thousands of monks should stay out of partisan politics.

Yet their participation in political or social movements is not unprecedented.

In 2010 dozens of monks participated in the “Red Shirts” pro-Thaksin protests in Bangkok, although they kept a lower profile than Buddha Issara. Some were even arrested.

“Although in theory monks are apolitical, in practice when you start to really scrutinise what’s going on beneath the surface, you discover there is all kind of politics,” said Duncan McCargo, professor of South-East Asian politics at Britain’s University of Leeds.

“What is unusual here is a prominent monk who is not only playing a supporting role or a legitimising role, but who is actually in the middle of a stage,” he said. “It’s an unusually overt role for a monk to play.”

The controversy surrounding Buddha Issara’s activities has not dimmed his appeal among supporters, some of whom have followed him to Bangkok from his temple.

“The secular domain was in trouble,” said 75-year-old devotee Mayurachat Manothai, decked out in glasses, headband, T-shirt, rings and bracelets in the colours of the Thai flag worn by many of the protesters.

“He has to help because if the secular domain collapses, the religious domain cannot live, because there will be no one to support religion,” she said in front of the rally stage, where the monk was surrounded by a dozen guards dressed in bullet-proof vests and sunglasses.

“There are two leaders respected by the protesters, Khun Suthep and me,” the monk said, speaking a few days before another protest leader was shot dead during a speech.

thestar.com.my

Will he be dis-monked or just moved to an inactive wat.

^ Good one

Thai government, weakened by protests, forced to beg for access to its own offices
Todd Pitman
January 30, 2014

BANGKOK - The protest leader, a monk in flowing orange robes, sat sternly at the head of a long hardwood table, his newfound authority in this patch of Bangkok plain for all to see.

Before him, three high-level Thai officials were begging permission to get back to work — in offices across the street his anti-government demonstrators had shut them out of two weeks earlier. Tens of thousands of passport applications were piling up, they said. Bankruptcy declarations needed tending to. One official was desperate to access environmental databases.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Bangkok's deputy police chief, Maj. Gen. Adul Narongsak, pressed his palms together in a traditional sign of respect, and smiled meekly. "We are begging for your mercy," he said.

The monk, Luang Pu Buddha Issara, pursed his lips and gave a blunt reply: "Lord Buddha once taught that effects only come from causes. And right now, the cause (of the problem) is this government."

It was an extraordinarily humbling moment for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's embattled administration, which ascended to power following a landslide election two and a half years ago. That vote was seen as a major rebuke to the elite establishment that applauded the overthrow of her brother Thaksin Shinawatra in a 2006 army coup.

But the popular mandate she enjoys today stands in stark contrast to scenes like these, which underscore just how weak Yingluck's government has become in the wake of Thailand's biggest anti-government protests in years. The conflict pits the Bangkok-based middle- and upper-class and southerners who disdain Yingluck against the poor, rural majority who support her and have benefited from populist policies including virtually free healthcare.

The protesters are a minority that cannot win power through elections, but they comprise a formidable alliance of opposition leaders, royalists, and powerful businessmen who have set their sights on ousting Yingluck's government, which they accuse of corruption and misrule.

Desperate to defuse the crisis, Yingluck dissolved Parliament in December and called new elections, set for Sunday. But protests only intensified, and Yingluck — now a caretaker prime minister with limited powers — has found herself increasingly cornered since. Thai courts have begun fast-tracking cases that could see Yingluck or her party banished from power, and the army has pointedly left open the possibility of intervening again if the crisis is not resolved peacefully.

In the meantime, demonstrators have taken over half a dozen major intersections in the capital, turning them into sometimes lively street markets complete with masseuses and food stalls.

They have also surrounded government ministries, leaving Yingluck's government hobbled and in disarray. With just about every one of country's ministries forced to work from back-up offices elsewhere, citizens in need of government services have sometimes struggled even to find where they are located.

The immigration bureau is now housed temporarily at a cineplex called Major Hollywood in neighbouring Samut Prakarn province. Part of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry officials has had to work at a state orphanage in Nonthaburi, just north of the city. Executives from the Commerce Ministry have relocated to a government arts and crafts centre in Ayutthaya province, about 55 kilometres (35 miles) to the north. And Yingluck herself has been forced to use a back-up office inside a Defence Ministry building.

As the protests drag on, some government officials have quietly been trying to restart some government services — so far, with little success. The immensity of the challenge was evident earlier this week when several Thai officials met at a police station in the northern Bangkok district of Chaengwattana ahead of negotiations with protesters.

"We need to explain clearly that this isn't about politics, it's about the impact protests are having on the people," said Adul, the police boss. "We need to make clear we're not trying to take anything back over. We're just asking for space for you to work."

Half an hour later, the delegation drove into a zone controlled by protesters where government authority had effectively ceased. The line was a wall of white sandbags that had been erected across a multilane road, where a handful of protesters acting as guards — one whom wore a Che Guevara pin on his hat — stood beside a row of steel barriers and a tent with a sign that warned "no photographs."

The police, despised by protesters and considered pro-government, have avoided dispersing demonstrators for fear of unleashing greater violence that could give the army a reason to intervene. Underscoring the police's delicate predicament, Adul said fellow officers should not speak to anyone who had been charged with insurrection because they would be obliged to arrest them.

The meeting with the demonstrators took place at a wooden table under a model Thai house on stilts that was being displayed for sale. The monk — who was asked to lead the area's protesters by the movement's main chief and has been heavily criticized by other Buddhists for becoming involved in politics — was waiting.

Thongchai Chasawath, director of the Foreign Affairs Ministry's consular department, explained there was now a backlog of more than 40,000 passport applications. Desperate people, he said, were lining up in vast queues starting at midnight outside two back-up offices where staff could only process 2,500 of the 6,500 passports they normally handle daily.
"That's not enough for people's needs," he said.

The Justice Ministry's deputy permanent-secretary spoke next, explaining that bankruptcy declarations, bail bonds and auctions were also being affected. An official with the Ministry of Natural Resources then asked for access to environmental databases.

Maj. Gen. Surachat Jitjaeng, a soldier serving in the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence, which supports Yingluck, told the monk that "all these ministries and departments are like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. If you can help us put the pieces fit back together, this could be a good start."

The monk nodded, and said he would meet with the consular and justice officials later to consider their requests. But the closure of the natural resources office was not hurting anybody, he argued. "If you are going to ask for help, why don't you ask those corrupt politicians who are destroying our forests."

On the way out, a few dozen protesters crowded around the government delegation, screaming, "Crony! Crony!"

By Thursday, the negotiations had produced mixed results. The consular affairs official has so far been unable to negotiate his way back in, but Tawatchai Thaikyo, of the Justice Ministry, said he is hoping he can get 100 staff back to work Monday.

Tawatchai said the monk had been "understanding" and had asked him to provide photo identification for civil servants who could be allowed to return.

But there was a condition.

Tawatchai had to sleep in the street alongside the protesters, which he did, in a pink tent, on Wednesday night.

"My family doesn't approve ... They are concerned about my safety," he said, referring to several grenade attacks on protest sites this month. "But I told them I'm a civil servant and I have to serve the people ... if I have to quit my job to let us go back to work, I'd do it."

canada.com

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

Will he be dis-monked or just moved to an inactive wat.

555 There are over 40,000 temples in Thailand so there must be a place for him somewhere.

Buddhist Authority 'Ready' To Defrock PCAD Monk
04 February 2014



Director of the Office of National Buddhism (ONAB) has vowed to defrock anti-government monk leader as soon as he is found guilty of violating the country's criminal laws.

Mr. Nopparat Banjawattanan said today that he has previously urged Nakhon Pathom Provincial Abbot Council to reprove Buddha Issara - the monk activist and core leader of the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) - for his role in the ongoing protests.

Buddha Issara is the current de facto leader of PCAD′s rally site on Chaeng Wattana Road, where the protesters have been besieging the Government Complex for weeks. He was also allegedly in charge of armed PCAD guards when they clashed with pro-government supporters at Laksi district on Saturday.

According to Mr. Nopparat, the monk never responded to the dispatches from the ONAB, so the authority later appointed appointed Nakhon Pathom Governor to follow the issue. The Office eventually filed a legal case against Buddha Issara for violating Sangha laws.

Mr. Nopparat added that the Abbot Council has concluded that Buddha Issara had violated the regulation of the Sangha Supreme Council by engaging in political protests and inciting people into violence.

Since the Division of Special Investigation (DSI) has also summoned Buddha Issara to testify for the insurrection charge, the activist monk has violated both the Buddhist and the country′s Criminal Codes, said the ONAB director.

“It is clearly stated by law, that if any monk is charged for criminal offence, and if the court denies his bail, he must be defrocked at any time”, said Mr. Nopparat.

However, Mr. Nopparat said it is beyond the authority of ONAB to arrest or apprehend Buddha Issara.

But Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister and Advisor of the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO), said that CMPO will arrest Monk Buddha Issara as soon as the Criminal Court issue the arrest warrant.

Mr. Surapong also expressed his confidence that the authorities will eventually arrest the rest of the PCAD leaders, particularly those who had obstructed the election on 2 February.

According to Mr. Surapong, the PCAD′s attempt to disrupt the election has been well-documented by many evidences. He also warned that both leaders and ordinary protesters would face maximum penalty for their anti-election effort.khaosod.co.th

Criminal Court to rule Thursday whether or not to approve arrest warrant for Phra Buddha Issara for obstructing Sunday election in Lak Si district

Criminal Court to rule Thursday whether or not to approve arrest warrant for Phra Buddha Issara for obstructing Sunday election in Lak Si district | MCOT.net | MCOT.net

Thai Buddhist monk vows to fight on even as protesters scale back
Amy Sawitta Lefevre
(Editing by Nick Macfie)
March 1, 2014

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A young Thai man and woman are on their knees, their palms pressed in supplication to the saffron-robed Buddhist monk, an anti-government protest leader, looming before them.

Accused of being pro-government spies they have been brought before the monk at a protest site in north of Bangkok by burly guards donning tinted sunglasses.

A 15-minute interrogation fails to convince the monk, Luang Pu Buddha Issara, of their innocence and he orders protest guards to keep them under close watch before striding on stage to tell supporters to fight against the "black-hearted" government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The monk's role in political protests that have gripped Thailand - a predominantly Buddhist country - for months, has divided Thais as much as the protest itself.

He faces disciplinary action by the National Office of Buddhism, the organization in charge of overseeing monks' behavior, for inappropriate conduct while the Buddhist Association of Thailand has threatened to disrobe him.

That doesn't seem to faze the 58-year-old senior monk. Last month he led protesters to block polling stations ahead of a February 2 election, giving orders to followers during violent clashes between pro and anti-government groups at a Bangkok intersection that left at least six people injured.

Buddha Issara strongly rejects the idea that his followers were armed.

"The only weapons we have are our minds," said Buddha Issara. "If it comes to civil war it certainly won't be my faction that uses weapons."

The latest crisis pits protesters, mainly middle class Bangkok residents and southerners, against supporters of Yingluck and her brother, ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, from the north and northeast. Protesters want her out to make way for sweeping reforms before an election.

Both sides have refused to give way in a highly polarized standoff, leading to whisperings of civil strife.

ABOVE POLITICS

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban called on Friday for the demonstrations to be scaled back and for supporters to move to one site in the central oasis of Lumpini Park.

That order has incensed Buddha Issara who heads his own protest camp at a sprawling government complex in north Bangkok.

He vowed on Saturday to keep protesting even if other sites in the city close.

"I was angry with Suthep's announcement. We have lost blood and lives and for what? To end it all now?," said Buddha Issara who is in daily contact with Suthep by telephone but said he does not follow the head protest leader's orders.

"I will still stay here until national reforms are in place. Suthep can do what he wants."

Buddha Issara's nightly speeches have sparked fierce debate in Thailand over the role of the Buddhist clergy in politics but has equally inspired unwavering devotion among supporters who say Buddha Issara - whose followers include powerful military generals and royalist politicians - is a fresh breath of air in a country known for dirty politics.

"Monks always tell the truth, whatever he says I can believe. Monks have played a role in politics for centuries so why should he not get involved in politics?" said Poomeht Piyacharoenjit, 70, a retired telecommunications employee.

Buddhist monks have played a role in political uprisings elsewhere in Asia, including in neighboring Myanmar.

Their role in Thailand's partisan politics is not unprecedented. In 2010, dozens of monks took part in pro-Thaksin protests in Bangkok, although some were denounced by critics as fake monks while others were arrested.

A decree by the late-Supreme Patriarch Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana, the 19th leader of Buddhist monks in Thailand, said monks "must be above the politics".

Buddha Issara disagrees and sees his protest camp as a vital, first line of defense against any threat from government supporters from the north and northeast.

"I have saved many lives and am prepared to sacrifice my own life. If I die, if our enemies kill me, people will cry foul that a monk was killed and that would silence the government."

courant.com