Phra Buddha Issara petitions CDC to reform clergy related laws

[webfact]

Phra Buddha Issara petitions CDC to reform clergy related laws

BANGKOK, 10 November 2015 (NNT) – Venerable Phra Buddha Issara has petitioned the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) to reform clergy related laws and to stipulate the establishment of a citizen's ethics council in the new constitution.

Phra Buddha Issara, the abbot of Wat Om Noi in Nakhon Pathom, handed the petition to CDC Chairman Meechai Ruchupan and claimed that existing clergy laws do not penalize monks that violate Buddhist disciplines, allowing for exploitative individuals within the Buddhist institution to prosper. Legislation should therefore be drafted to penalize violators and preserve the integrity of the Buddhist institution.

The abbot also handed a list of 300,000 signatures calling for the new constitution to stipulate a citizen’s council or an ethics council comprised of members of the public with the authority to inspect the ethical behavior of local bureaucrats and politicians.

Mr Meechai thanked the abbot for his concerns for the Buddhist institution and assured that the new constitution will address the protection of Buddhism with participation from religious groups. Furthermore, the constitution will define public service as being bound to ethical conduct and that any official found guilty of corruption will be barred from politics for life.


-- NNT 2015-11-10

[webfact]

EC gains some power, loses some power under proposals
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Election Commission would have more power to close polling stations but would lose the power to disqualify election candidates under proposals made by the Constitution Drafting Commission.

The CDC resolved to increase the EC's power by allowing just one EC member to decide whether to suspend voting at polling stations over suspected electoral fraud and call for a re-election.

The current law stipulates that a full panel of EC members should decide on election suspensions, which is deemed impractical, said CDC spokesman Amorn Wanitwiwat.

The EC would continue to have the power to issue yellow cards to election candidates suspected of electoral fraud.

But it would have to seek a Supreme Court ruling to issue red cards or disqualify election candidates suspected of committing electoral fraud.

The EC would have the right to order an investigation and a new public referendum if there is evidence the referendum is illegal.

The CDC is planning to include in the constitution the proposal to issue a lifetime ban for politicians and state officials found to have violated the principles of morality and ethics, CDC chairman Meechai Ruchupan said yesterday.

The CDC had earlier decided to include provisions in the charter that slap a lifetime ban on politicians found to be corrupt, in a bid to curb graft. Now the move to lay out rules on morals and ethics is seen as an attempt to set a higher bar for officials to meet.

Meechai said the CDC is thinking about drafting rules on ethics and morals to govern all state sectors, including politics. "Everybody, especially those in the field of politics, must conform to moral and ethical standards, otherwise they will be dismissed and banned for life from politics," Meechai said.

He was responding to a proposal from Phra Buddha Issara, former core leader of the People's Democratic Reform Committee, who yesterday called for the establishment of a "Moral and Ethical Assembly" to monitor the behaviour of political officeholders.

Phra Buddha Issara urged Meechai to uphold the "Civic Assembly" provision included in the previous draft by the Borwornsak Uwanno-led CDC, saying that such an agency would empower people to scrutinise local government.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/EC-gains-some-power-loses-some-power-under-proposa-30272617.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-10

[slapout]

The temples are susposed to provide financial accounts yearrly and its reported that less than 25% do.

It has been shown time and again one of the avenues to launder monies is via corrupt abbots and their henchmen via susposedly temple donations that are spent for individual self satisfaction. Corruption and immorality abound in that organization, it would appear.

Another den of snakes to clean out, best done on a individual basis so no innocents are harmed.

Edited November 10, 2015 by slapout

[smutcakes]

Wow Suthep and Issara on the same day... Something is going on....

Amazing the access Issara seems to always have to the people pulling the strings. I dont suppose Joe Public would have the chance of discussing their views with Meechai like Issara seems to always be able to do.

Someone must have organized that photo shoot, and for what purpose?

[LannaGuy]

"do not penalize monks that violate Buddhist disciplines"

Pot and Black come to mind

[Emster23]

"existing clergy laws do not penalize monks that violate Buddhist disciplines, allowing for exploitative individuals within the Buddhist institution to prosper."

He could start by defrocking himself, which should have been done months ago

[Kasset Tak]

"existing clergy laws do not penalize monks that violate Buddhist disciplines, allowing for exploitative individuals within the Buddhist institution to prosper."

He could start by defrocking himself, which should have been done months ago

Look at the jet set monk that still haven't been brought to justice. Another example is that mega temple in BKK that got billions from a company that stole the money from the investors...

The laws now regarding the sangha are old and not followed as too many people/monks high up gets too much money so someone has to fight from inside the ranks!

[ngieen]

Phra Buddha Issara

did you walk barefoot this early morning to receive alms while your eyes look down to ?

did you chant ?

how's your meditation skills, is your heart at peace?

when monkshood become a profession or a cover i loose my respect

therefore

i don't respect you as a monk

you should remove the yellow robes and wear army gear.

it will be better for everyone

[chainarong]

The constitution should only describe everyone as equal without fear or favour, nothing more, to reform the clergy , the church should have its own council with rules and regulations , it is not up to the Government to concern itself with issues within the temple , it is the Governments job to prosecute anyone who breaks the law whether a layman a monk or clergy. all western churches whether you like them or not have their own heads and internal structure, so should Thailand's................. .

[FangFerang]

Wow Suthep and Issara on the same day... Something is going on....

Amazing the access Issara seems to always have to the people pulling the strings. I dont suppose Joe Public would have the chance of discussing their views with Meechai like Issara seems to always be able to do.

Someone must have organized that photo shoot, and for what purpose?

Nah, sheer coincidence.

And I saw a flying pig this morning while listening to Pink Floyd's "Animals"....

[ddavidovsky]

The clergy is part of the right-wing network that for a long time has been controlling the country. It's a protected institution. Reforming the clergy is another smokescreen (we now know how the word 'reform' is used). This is really about the "citizen's ethics council" - another means of keeping the great unwashed and their political representatives under control.

Edited November 10, 2015 by ddavidovsky

[NeilSA1]

The constitution should only describe everyone as equal without fear or favour, nothing more, to reform the clergy , the church should have its own council with rules and regulations , it is not up to the Government to concern itself with issues within the temple , it is the Governments job to prosecute anyone who breaks the law whether a layman a monk or clergy. all western churches whether you like them or not have their own heads and internal structure, so should Thailand's................. .

"....the church should have its own council with rules and regulations...." I think they do, but it is obviously ineffective.

Phra Buddha's suggestion that "Legislation should therefore be drafted to penalize violators and preserve the integrity of the Buddhist institution" makes sense.

​

[Shaunduhpostman]

It's just going to be a trade off, one set of problems for another.

[Acharn]

"existing clergy laws do not penalize monks that violate Buddhist disciplines, allowing for exploitative individuals within the Buddhist institution to prosper."

He could start by defrocking himself, which should have been done months ago

Look at the jet set monk that still haven't been brought to justice. Another example is that mega temple in BKK that got billions from a company that stole the money from the investors...

The laws now regarding the sangha are old and not followed as too many people/monks high up gets too much money so someone has to fight from inside the ranks!

Just out of curiosity, can you name the law the Luang Pu Nenkham is accused of violating? Is that also a law in the United States? Because I think you will find that extradition is very hard without solid legal charges. It took something like twelve years to get Rakesh Saxena back, and he was charged with defrauding banks of hundreds of millions of baht. Interestingly, the Canadian Chancellor for unknown reasons sat on the request for several years after it was finally approved by the high court. Saxena was reportedly fraudulently making millions of dollars a year there. Luang Pu Nenkham is really pretty small potatoes in comparison.