Bullet only clue as police probe Udon monk's death
SEKSANTI KANLAYANAWISUT
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- A WAR-GRADE weapon was used in the Sunday murder of Phra Bundit Subandito, an abbot of Wat Pa Ban Tor Seesiad in Udon Thani province, police said yesterday.

Investigators yesterday unsuccessfully tried to interview persons who might be of interest to the case as family members collected the monk's ashes and disciples cleaned the temple after the Tuesday cremation ritual.

The head of Provincial Police Region 4's Investigation Division, Pol Maj-General Peerapong Wongsaman, explained to the late monk's mother, Ruwanee Sanguankaew, that police could still proceed with a murder investigation although nobody had given testimony so far and it would take time to solve the case.

He thanked the monk's father - who is also a monk - for allowing police to remove a bullet from the body.

It was initially considered to be a .223-calibre round, a type used for many kinds of guns including war weapons like the M16 rifle or the HK33 assault rifle.

Peerapong was told that the 48-year-old monk - who used to be a physician and director of two local government hospitals before entering the monkhood in 1997 - did not talk much and did not even own a mobile phone.

The late monk's father, however, declined to respond to police as he cited the dharma perspective that the event was already ended and all should be forgiven.

Peerapong then headed the police team back to inspect the scene one more time.

Earlier yesterday, Udon Thani provincial police chief Pol Maj-General Chaiyat Saithin told a teleconference of investigators that police would check further the bank accounts under other persons' names found in the slain monk's residence. The accounts were in relation to various projects that the monk oversaw, he added.

The .223 bullet would be tested to find whether it matched any gun used in other crimes, he said, adding that police could not yet confirm the type of gun used or whether a silencer was fitted. Witnesses said the gunshots were not loud.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bullet-only-clue-as-police-probe-Udon-monks-death-30255330.html


-- The Nation 2015-03-05

"The late monk's father, however, declined to respond to police as he cited the dharma perspective that the event was already ended and all should be forgiven." Strange to say that when his son has been murdered.

"The late monk's father, however, declined to respond to police as he cited the dharma perspective that the event was already ended and all should be forgiven."

The courts would be a quiet place if we all thought along these lines.

Thank the heavens that we don't and most fathers would seek justice.

Nice for the father to allow bullet to be removed from the body! Only in Thailand!!!

A very strange situation but I'm not a Buddhist so maybe miss the finer points.

Apparently the BIB didn't secure the scene and when they went back to ' investigate ' it had been cleaned up and now they're having ' difficulties ' interviewing potential witnesses !

As usual nothing is ever quite what it seems.

"Earlier yesterday, Udon Thani provincial police chief Pol Maj-General Chaiyat Saithin told a teleconference of investigators that police would check further the bank accounts under other persons' names found in the slain monk's residence. The accounts were in relation to various projects that the monk oversaw, he added."

Ah, so money.

Wonder if other monks involved?

Possibly some who said they didn't want the crime investigated were got to.

If all is forgiven, then what about the killer who is still loose on the streets? Couldn't he do the same thing so someone else?

If the information in the report is correct, this monk must have led a very successful life being a doctor and director of 2 local government hospitals by the age of 30, only to leave and join the monkhood.

As ever, the newspaper report leaves so much unsaid and the truth will not be revealed.

Where's a smoke, there's a fire, the monk presumably is/was involved in something or things

that rub somebody, somehow the wrong way... unfortunately, not even the clergy is immune

from the slaying men....

Edited March 5, 201511 yr by ezzra

"The late monk's father, however, declined to respond to police as he cited the dharma perspective that the event was already ended and all should be forgiven." Strange to say that when his son has been murdered.

Not so strange for a real buddhist monk... it seems his son may have been a real monk as well given he didnt even own a cellphone. RIP.

Not so many real monks left here in Thailand

"Earlier yesterday, Udon Thani provincial police chief Pol Maj-General Chaiyat Saithin told a teleconference of investigators that police would check further the bank accounts under other persons' names found in the slain monk's residence. The accounts were in relation to various projects that the monk oversaw, he added."

Ah, so money.

Wonder if other monks involved?

Possibly some who said they didn't want the crime investigated were got to.

I am not sure what you are implying ....

As an Abbot the monk would have had to oversee the temple accounts and may have had other projects that he had oversight of. A scrupulous monk would have ensured that any donations that the lay community made were not directed to him even if the intention was to provide for allowable personal items such as medication. The proper procedure is to appoint a steward to receive and handle such funds and it is responsibility of the steward to ensure those funds are used for the purpose that they were donated for - or in the event of them not been used for that purpose returned to the donor.

The fathers response is what I would like to be able to claim mine would be in the same situation. That is a Monk that I would really like to listen to in Dhamma discussion. RESPECT for both Monks

.

There are always an abundance of clues, they just don't know where to look.

Prime suspect are almost always the persons closest to the victim. The police usually work out from there. So family ?

Close friends ????

Work mates ????

Aquaintances ??

Stranges ????

Often the guilty are in one of the first two groups.

Seems you can tell the rtp any story and they believe you.

Rtp should not be so trusting of the people. ?

"Earlier yesterday, Udon Thani provincial police chief Pol Maj-General Chaiyat Saithin told a teleconference of investigators that police would check further the bank accounts under other persons' names found in the slain monk's residence. The accounts were in relation to various projects that the monk oversaw, he added."

Ah, so money.

Wonder if other monks involved?

Possibly some who said they didn't want the crime investigated were got to.

I am not sure what you are implying ....

As an Abbot the monk would have had to oversee the temple accounts and may have had other projects that he had oversight of. A scrupulous monk would have ensured that any donations that the lay community made were not directed to him even if the intention was to provide for allowable personal items such as medication. The proper procedure is to appoint a steward to receive and handle such funds and it is responsibility of the steward to ensure those funds are used for the purpose that they were donated for - or in the event of them not been used for that purpose returned to the donor.

The fathers response is what I would like to be able to claim mine would be in the same situation. That is a Monk that I would really like to listen to in Dhamma discussion. RESPECT for both Monks

What am I implying? As to the murdered man and his father, nothing.

I could be wrong about what happened and i was just speculating that there may be a money and/or corruption causes lying behind this murder. Though not on the part of the murdered man (or his family). Just wondering if he had discovered something on the part of others.

Do I know what happened? No.

Am I convinced my speculations are correct? No.

Is there a good chance I am talking complete nonsense? Absolutely. And I will admit so if the truth proves to be otherwise and my speculations wildly inaccurate.

Which they could very well be.

Edited March 5, 201511 yr by Bluespunk

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"The late monk's father, however, declined to respond to police as he cited the dharma perspective that the event was already ended and all should be forgiven."

The courts would be a quiet place if we all thought along these lines.

Thank the heavens that we don't and most fathers would seek justice.

Further, the last thing Thailand or any country needs is religion somehow dictating or being allowed to override the application and the process of the law.

Edited March 5, 201511 yr by scorecard

"The late monk's father, however, declined to respond to police as he cited the dharma perspective that the event was already ended and all should be forgiven." Strange to say that when his son has been murdered.

As you say strange. Maybe he knows more than he is letting on.