Sangha Council bans monks from joining protests

[webfact]

Sangha Council bans monks from joining protests

By The Nation

 

 

The Sangha Supreme Council has issued an urgent edict banning monks and novices from joining political rallies.

 

Narong Song-arom, director of the National Office of Buddhism, said on Wednesday that the participation of monks and novices in recent political gatherings had triggered widespread public criticism. The office had sent several letters to abbots warning them about the matter, but monks were still joining the protests, he said.

 

Therefore, the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand issued an urgent edict to temples throughout the country to ban monks and novices from engaging in political activities. Violators will be punished with disciplinary measures and legal action, added Narong.

 

Monks at one rally had even called for monastic rules including shaving of the eyebrows to be scrapped, he said.

 

However, they knew the rules before becoming monks and nobody had forced them to enter the monkhood, he pointed out.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30397768

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-12

 

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[Flying Saucage]

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Sangha Supreme Council has issued an urgent edict banning monks and novices from joining political rallies.

 

Let me guess: This does not apply for this yellow thug Buddha Issara, right? He joined some counter rallies recently already, and was praised for that by some people, I was told.

 

[ThailandRyan]

Whats not to love about Monks joining protests. They always have in the past, so why deny them now. All they want is peace in the country and know this government needs to go away.  If they want to ban them then change the robes from saffron to yellow and call them royalists.

[Somtamnication]

I have never listened to the Sangha Council, only the Singha Council.

[Curt1591]

" ... banning monks and novices from joining political rallies, ... along with shopping, smoking, drinking and hanging out  with women!

 

[colinneil]

Why bother banning monks, when do monks ever take notice? Do as they are supposed to do.... Answer never.

Monks do as they please, when they please, right or wrong never comes into it.

[quake]

yes, and go get a job as well, lazy sods.

[TooBigToFit]

Monks shouldn't support human rights. They should continue supporting the criminal mafia who control Thailand and offer them the biggest cash handouts. They should bite the hand that feeds them and their silly beliefs and lifestyle. Thai Buddhism is Thai first. Get that. Thai.  And Thailand is based on heirarchy, inequality, injustice, and getting rich through your connections no matter what human rights abuses happen along the way. So these monks should just keep their traps shut and watch their Netflixs, and dream of what they will do with all the money they pile up before leaving the Sangha. Besides, monks can be disappeared too. They aren't at the top of the pyramid here.

[quake]

3 hours ago, Curt1591 said:

" ... banning monks and novices from joining political rallies, ... along with shopping, smoking, drinking and hanging out  with women!

 

You forgot

Taking,  yabba Dabba  Doo. 

[Dagfinnur Traustason]

They have come far away from that monks shall not bother or engage nor own any earthly things. The whole concept is infected to the core, and should just be left in it´s shame to decay.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Therefore, the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand issued an urgent edict to temples throughout the country to ban monks and novices from engaging in political activities. Violators will be punished with disciplinary measures and legal action, added Narong.

More suppression.

[Enzian]

This has serious parallels with Burma. I few years back I met several exiled Burmese monks in the camps on the Thai side of the border and learned a lot. There are good reasons to be critical of the Sangha but in Burma the monks kept up the pressure for years and it was one of the things that led to what improvement that has occurred. I'm sure the Thai authorities don't want a repeat of some of the things that happened there.

Also I've always thought that the Thai generals learned from their counterparts in Burma how to pack the government in their favor. It fooled no one there, it fools no one here.

Colin above says monks can do anything, but in my observation it depends on their particular abbot. I know a certain abbot pretty well, no doubt the best person I know in Thailand, but he will overlook certain things if no one is being harmed. 

 

[greeneking]

27 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

More suppression.

'THE NATIONAL Legislative Assembly (NLA) yesterday promulgated the new Sangha Act that authorises His Majesty the King to appoint members of the Sangha Supreme Council to govern the Thai Buddhist clergies.'

Jul 05. 2018 The Nation

So no surprise authority feels the democratic wishes of the people should not be supported by monks.

[khaowong1]

I'm a little up and down on this one.  The big problem is, who's right?  Everyone has their own opinion.  And when those opinions get too controversial, tempers are going to flow and someone is going to get hurt.  In some cases, seriously hurt.  Should monks be a part of that?  In my opinion, no.  If monks are going to get involved in anything, it shouldn't be political.