Crackdown On Lewd Shows In Wats

[george]

Crackdown urged on lewd shows in wats

BANGKOK: -- The National Buddhism Office and the Sangha Council have stepped up measures to ensure temple fairs are free of obscene and indecent shows, including striptease.

Abbots who allow lewd shows to take place in temple compounds could face disciplinary action under the Sangha Council's 1994 regulations which prohibit such shows on temple territory, they said.

At the same time, organisers of the indecent activities would also face legal action for arranging the obscene shows in violation of the criminal law.

Boonsri Panajit, acting director of the National Buddhism Office, said the agency had received many public complaints and a senate panel on education, religions, arts and culture has demanded more concrete measures to deal with the problem.

Ms Boonsri said the agency had held talks with the Sangha Council and agreed to issue an order instructing the provincial Buddhism offices to stop monks from allowing indecent activities on temple grounds.

She urged communities around the temples to help monitor temple fairs to ensure they are free of obscene shows.

She noted that initial reports indicated that obscene shows were mostly being allowed in temples located in remote areas.

Ms Boonsri pointed out that most of the shows which took place did not have the permission of the temple abbots.

Somsak Yiemsawat, director of Samut Sakhon Buddhism Office, said the agency normally received an average of two complaints a month on the staging of obscene shows at temples in the province. The shows, in which young female dancers were in revealing dresses, mostly took place late at night, he said.

He also expressed concern over alcohol sales on temple grounds which led to brawls among young fair-goers when they got drunk.

Mr Somsak conceded that it was not going to be an easy task to crack down on such activities as most complaints were unsigned and carried no contact addresses.

More importantly, it would be almost impossible to catch the organisers red-handed as most shows ended before the proper authorities arrived.

"By the time we receive the complaints, the shows have already ended," he said.

--TNA 2006-04-22