Thai Sect Fights For 1.8 Rai With Dharma

[webfact]

Sect fights for 1.8 rai with dharma

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Dubbed by some as the most "disciplined" group of protesters, the less than a thousand members of Santi Asoke Sect's "Dharma Army" camped out in front of the Government House could pass off as participants in a religious gathering - with the exception of their ultra-nationalistic ethos.

The group, which is also known as the Thai Patriots Network, is defending 1.8 rai of "Thai soil", demanding that the seven Thais arrested "in Thailand" by Cambodian soldiers be rescued as well as pressuring the government to step down.

"What if someone comes as a guest to our house and then tries to take it over? Would you allow it?" asked Noppamas Khew-on, a 22-year-old member of the breakaway Buddhist sect, led by 76-year-old Samana Bhodhirak, who was manning a desk seeking signatures against the alleged annexation of Thai soil.

When asked how sure she was about Thailand losing its land, Noppamas - dressed in the indigo colours of Santi Asoke, replied: "I'm certain that the area [where the seven Thais were arrested] belongs to Thailand. The villagers have land titles, but I heard the ministry denying that. Yet the locals insist they pay land taxes every year, so how can it not belong to Thais? I'm not sure if there's something wrong with the [Thai] government, which is why they are not doing anything about it."

In case Noppamas and her fellow protesters were not sure about this claim, the voice on the stage continues reminding them that the seven were indeed "arrested on Thai soil". Period!

Though there was no way trying to convince Noppamas to change her beliefs, she was more than eager to engage and enlighten The Nation on how her group differed from the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) or the red shirts.

In this protest, no alcoholic beverages, smoking or abusive language on or off the stage is allowed. Protesters have to listen to dharma talks twice a day and dine on the organic vegetarian food available.

Trash is separated and recycled, while one stall dispenses vegetable juice and another offers free haircuts.

There's even an ad-hoc day-care centre available, though the large cloth banner behind the centre reads a slightly impolite message in English: "Hell Cambodia. You Betray Us"

Nearby, there is a sign clearly stating the donations received. As of noon yesterday, Bt470,194 had come in and Bt406,025 spent.

As people start queuing up for their free meal, they are told that they will have to wash their plates themselves. The white plates come with two mottoes: "do not commit sin" and "we are all brothers". Then there's a sign instructing diners to "not stand and eat" because it's not polite.

Noppamas, a Chiang Mai native who is a sophomore student at the Ubon Ratchathani University majoring in Sufficiency Economy, a joint programme between the university and the influential sect, said she would have to leave the rally soon to get back to her studies. However, she believes her fellow sect members, numbering around 6,000 nationwide and for whom the leader is a "venerable father", will be around to see things through.

Her fellow protesters say the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration has failed to defend Thailand's integrity and are calling for it to step down.

"I don't hate the government, but they say one thing and do something else," Noppamas said.

Meanwhile, a red-shirt member said the Santi Asoke Sect was so well disciplined that the protest could last a whole decade if they wanted.

"But they don't stand for democracy," the government official, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

When Santi Asoke joined the PAD back in 2006 to protest against the then-Thaksin Shinawatra government, it eventually led to a military coup, which it has never publicly opposed, the source lamented.

Noppamas, however, refused to accept this.

"I don't understand if [the source] understands the concept of democracy," Noppamas said. "We see people who cannot use their land [along the Cambodian border] and we're just trying to help them."

As I left, I picked up a leaflet on the "protest strategy", which also reminded members that they were fighting for democracy, which was defined as "the hearts that have dharma".

-- The Nation 2011-01-23

[yellow1red1]

the brown robes?

[asiawatcher]

<deleted> - they have been released. Why not put an edict out - the Govt respects your right to protest - give them 24 hours in which to do it and then move them on - they have made their point. But allowing the ongoing rabble in streets or parks to continue to disrupt Thai's at large, as well as sucking up valuable assets by having to waste time and money containing these people, should lead to some form of sensibility that the Govt needs to override these issues and fast before there are weekly squabbles and more protests over anything and everything. Get control - it's worth it in the ling run.

[bitterbatter]

I asked a Thai friend about this piece of land and why it is getting so much attention and thought it was about the ownership of a temple. She corrected me saying that there is a large oil deposit or natural gas below the land. She went to say that this protest is all about securing the rights to this oil. Now it all makes much more sense, too bad The Nation play it all wrong.

[whybother]

I asked a Thai friend about this piece of land and why it is getting so much attention and thought it was about the ownership of a temple. She corrected me saying that there is a large oil deposit or natural gas below the land. She went to say that this protest is all about securing the rights to this oil. Now it all makes much more sense, too bad The Nation play it all wrong.

Actually, I don't believe there is oil below this particular piece of land. The maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Thailand between Thailand and Cambodia are in dispute, which include large potential untapped oil and gas deposits. Some people believe that accepting a particular border demarcation at the temple will affect the border dispute in the Gulf.

ed: spl.

Edited January 23, 2011 by whybother

[housepainter]

Sect madness in Bangkok? I thought being sect mad meant you holidayed in Pattaya, telling your neighbours you were visiting Singapore, so that when you got back you wouldn't need re-glazing.

Time for sect education:

Maria Tsvigun was the leader of the White Brotherhood cult based in the Ukraine which predicted the 'end of the world' in 1993. Tsvigun was convicted of hooliganism and extortion in connection with a planned mass gathering around the predicted end of the world.

Pretty mild then this sect stuff. But then Stuart Walker started a cult called 'The Pod' in Mona Vale near Sydney with him claiming to be the reincarnation of Christ and Buddha. Why not Allah you may ask? He also claimed having the power to talk to whales. Maybe he could talk Welsh and the newspaper just exaggerated a bit.

Serial killer and cult leader Charles Manson was imprisoned on multiple life sentences following a murderous rampage in 1969 with a group of followers. And he's still occupying a cell. Bit of a negative there then.

83-year-old cult leader Ken Dyers was charged with 22 sex offences against two teenage girls in 2001 and 2002. Kenneth Emmanuel Dyers, was co-founder of the self-styled spiritual healing group Kenja and committed suicide in 2007 as more investigations into sex assault commenced. But no one was killed so may be Manson was just a one off?

Hold on a tick. I've just remembered the Jonestown mass suicide site where 918 people died after Jim Jones led his followers to their deaths. At least he kept it under a thousand. Most likely couldn't get a discount on coffins.

Former leader of Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinri Kyo Shoko Asahara was sentenced to hang for masterminding the 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway that killed 12 and sickened thousands. Over a thousand but only 12 dead. I think the jury is still out on this sect business.

The leader of the Heaven's Gate cult Marshall Applewhite, sounds like a nice boy, who led 39 people in a mass suicide in Southern California but doesn't act like one. Always contentious stuff is this suicide business. I suppose on that scale it was a business.

David Berg founded the Children of God Christian sect in 1968 heading the cult despite allegations of sex assault until his death in 1994. The numbers are down as only one, the man himself died. Lots of that unsavoury sex business though. I'm surprised there are no sects in sex city Pattaya. Just the place for it really.

Luc Jouret founded the Order of the Solar Temple cult in Switzerland. Sounds like a fun fair for kids. An organisation linked to neo-Nazi's which hopes to resurrect the ancient order of the Knight of the Templar from the crusades. An organisation for Nazi kids then. Jouret committed suicide in 1994 which led to a mass suicide of his followers.

At least there was no sex involved in that one. Just good old suicide.

The difference with the Thai sect is all that Dharma business. As long as they keep well away from Jeffrey it should be pretty harmless; just another one thousand suicides to clear up when it all ends in tears. I hope they do it the Thai way and not 4th floor jumping from a Pattaya shop house that the Police seem to have us believe is so popular amongst tourists.

Edited January 23, 2011 by housepainter

[AleG]

Just what the political circus was missing, religious wackos.

[belidofan]

the brown robes?

like the brown shirts in ,you know where, 7-8 decades ago?....shouldn't they then be in the other "camp", under de fugitive Fuerher.....now it really becomes confusing

[MaiChai]

I believe you can blame post 2nd world war colonialists for hastely drawing the border, and getting it quite wrong. Lets just say post 2nd world war the Thais/Cambodians had little say in drawing of the border. Now there is much more at stake than a crumbling old temple.

Buddhism is about finding your own answers to questions like "What is the meaning of life?", etc. Unfortunatly this gives too much scope for people to interprete things the way they want, including setting up of cults, etc. Is it me or is their too much extremity with alot of these groups? Isn't there a "middle of the road" group i can join