Chiang Mai forest caretaker: Phra Budda Isara does not encroach on forest land

[casualbiker]

Phra Budda Isara said that the encroached area in national forest reserves was about 300 rai and not 3,000 rai as wrongly reported.

The abbot went on saying that he had been reforesting denuded forests since 1989 and had reforested about 1,000 rai so far.

Its only about 300 Rai but he reforested 1000 rai so far.

He should be disrobed.

Ever thought that that he has reforested other forest areas? But you're correct he is a knob head.

[Alive]

He should be disrobed immediately. Does he protect the corrupt officials he got the land from? Fine and jail him. He's a corrupt monk.

[robblok]

Is encroachment illegally? Yes.

Did he encroach on illegal land? Yes.

He is guilty as charge and no exception.

Has Phra Budda Isara refuted the charges ? No.

He expressed his readiness to face legal consequences for his forest encroachment.

He called on the Forest Department to take legal action against all forest encroachers, including himself.​

Plus he is reforesting it and that can be proven.. so he is in fact helping Thailand, same can't be said for the monk that is aligned with Big T and is helping laundering the money from Kluong Chang credit union.

What a difference one monk helping to con poor people out of their live savings and the other helping to reforest things and ready to accept charges. Of course clear to all who is on what side and shows the morality of the side they are on.

[Bob12345]

What a difference one monk helping to con poor people out of their live savings and the other helping to reforest things and ready to accept charges. Of course clear to all who is on what side and shows the morality of the side they are on.

Funny how you are trying to make this in a yellow vs red discussion... AGAIN... as you do with almost any news item (but but but Taksin and but but but the monk who is palls with Taksin).

But you do have a point, so now we can actually see how well justice works in Thailand.

This man is even providing the evidence against himself, so I am pretty sure he will be convicted soon.

Wonder what the minimum penalty for this offence is, and how many days this guy who admits guilt will actually spend in prison.

I am guessing he will not spend a day in prison even though he admits guilt, provided his own evidence, and called for his own prosecution.

Guess it helps if you helped topple a government and your buddy is now running the country.

p.s. "ready to accept charges" or so blatantly in the wrong and caught with your hand in the cookie jar that denying is not even possible anymore?

Edited July 17, 2016 by Bob12345

[sanukjim]

He should be disrobed immediately. Does he protect the corrupt officials he got the land from? Fine and jail him. He's a corrupt monk.

He knows that the BIB have no Cajones when dealing with the monks of statue..

[Eric Loh]

Is encroachment illegally? Yes.

Did he encroach on illegal land? Yes.

He is guilty as charge and no exception.

Has Phra Budda Isara refuted the charges ? No.

He expressed his readiness to face legal consequences for his forest encroachment.

He called on the Forest Department to take legal action against all forest encroachers, including himself.​

Plus he is reforesting it and that can be proven.. so he is in fact helping Thailand, same can't be said for the monk that is aligned with Big T and is helping laundering the money from Kluong Chang credit union.

What a difference one monk helping to con poor people out of their live savings and the other helping to reforest things and ready to accept charges. Of course clear to all who is on what side and shows the morality of the side they are on.

Reforesting as a defence for illegal encroachment. Haven't we heard this kind of defence before when caught red handed. Pay back bribe money and all is forgotten. Who really know what he is doing with the reforestation. Timber is a valuable asset this days. Fortunately he was caught before he start getting smart on the illegal asset. Then the best part. He ask himself to be charge after being caught. Doesn't do much to absorb any accusation but does have a nice ring to it. Why don't he own up that he has illegal land before he was caught if he is such a noble and honest monk.

[tuanku]

Is encroachment illegally? Yes.

Did he encroach on illegal land? Yes.

He is guilty as charge and no exception.

Has Phra Budda Isara refuted the charges ? No.

He expressed his readiness to face legal consequences for his forest encroachment.

He called on the Forest Department to take legal action against all forest encroachers, including himself.​

Plus he is reforesting it and that can be proven.. so he is in fact helping Thailand, same can't be said for the monk that is aligned with Big T and is helping laundering the money from Kluong Chang credit union.

What a difference one monk helping to con poor people out of their live savings and the other helping to reforest things and ready to accept charges. Of course clear to all who is on what side and shows the morality of the side they are on.

It is simplistic to analyse everything in terms of red and yellow, and leads to many false conclusions. It is well proven that corruption exists on both sides of the political divide. It is also naive to take the statements of any person, but especially one such as Issara or Dammachayo at face value. Both of them are professional con-artists,

Lack of balance in your posts will prevent people from taking you seriously.

[MobileContent]

Phra Budda Isara said that the encroached area in national forest reserves was about 300 rai and not 3,000 rai as wrongly reported.

The abbot went on saying that he had been reforesting denuded forests since 1989 and had reforested about 1,000 rai so far.

Its only about 300 Rai but he reforested 1000 rai so far.

He should be disrobed.

Ever thought that that he has reforested other forest areas? But you're correct he is a knob head.

He encroached on the land 20 years ago so he should be charged in court which of course will not happen.

A good monk friend of mine send a latter to his Majesty the King that he wanted to build a wat in the forest which was approved by both the King and the Royal Foresty Department and the land including 4 Rai. He has now a Wat in the forrest of Sakon Nakhon.

Their will always be land available for forrest monks in Thailand and those wishes are almost granted. Forest monks have a very high standing in the Thai hierarchy of monks.

[robblok]

Is encroachment illegally? Yes.

Did he encroach on illegal land? Yes.

He is guilty as charge and no exception.

Has Phra Budda Isara refuted the charges ? No.

He expressed his readiness to face legal consequences for his forest encroachment.

He called on the Forest Department to take legal action against all forest encroachers, including himself.​

Plus he is reforesting it and that can be proven.. so he is in fact helping Thailand, same can't be said for the monk that is aligned with Big T and is helping laundering the money from Kluong Chang credit union.

What a difference one monk helping to con poor people out of their live savings and the other helping to reforest things and ready to accept charges. Of course clear to all who is on what side and shows the morality of the side they are on.

It is simplistic to analyse everything in terms of red and yellow, and leads to many false conclusions. It is well proven that corruption exists on both sides of the political divide. It is also naive to take the statements of any person, but especially one such as Issara or Dammachayo at face value. Both of them are professional con-artists,

Lack of balance in your posts will prevent people from taking you seriously.

Of course there is corruption on both sides.. i was just stuck by the difference.. one is replanting forests (and willing to face chargers) and the other is helping defrauding poor people from a credit union (and keeps hiding and finding excuses).

However if its proven that he did not reforest them and used it commercially ill eat my words, should not be hard to see if he has been reforesting. I recently saw an article about him reforesting and it seemed legit.

[exalll]

Gosh ... I'm used to the TV "hang-'em high" mob, but in this case there seems to be at least a story worth investigating.

For a start, "forest land" in Thailand does not mean that there are trees growing there. It is a legal definition for land under the jurisdiction of RFD or DNP, which may or may not have forest on it. So the monk encroached, as he admits, but at the time was the land bare? He certainly implies so, and perhaps even states this (I have not read everything on this story). So if he encroached on "forest land" that was bare and reforested it then, as some have said, he has provided a public service.

His invitation to the authorities to prosecute himself "and all other encroachers" is a bold challenge because he knows that there are too many "influential people" involved for that to be possible.

On the whole, it seems quite likely to me that this monk is (a) doing his little bit to reforest land that should have forest, and ( focus public attention on the enormous nationwide problem of forest encroachment. Sure I may be being naive, but I want to learn more before rushing to any kind of conclusion.

[Bob12345]

Gosh ... I'm used to the TV "hang-'em high" mob, but in this case there seems to be at least a story worth investigating.

For a start, "forest land" in Thailand does not mean that there are trees growing there. It is a legal definition for land under the jurisdiction of RFD or DNP, which may or may not have forest on it. So the monk encroached, as he admits, but at the time was the land bare? He certainly implies so, and perhaps even states this (I have not read everything on this story). So if he encroached on "forest land" that was bare and reforested it then, as some have said, he has provided a public service.

His invitation to the authorities to prosecute himself "and all other encroachers" is a bold challenge because he knows that there are too many "influential people" involved for that to be possible.

On the whole, it seems quite likely to me that this monk is (a) doing his little bit to reforest land that should have forest, and ( focus public attention on the enormous nationwide problem of forest encroachment. Sure I may be being naive, but I want to learn more before rushing to any kind of conclusion.

You do sound naive.

It reads like you think this good monk saw injustice in the country by powerfull players who encroached on forest land. As wise as he is he therefore started doing the same but instead of exploiting the land he improved it.

And now the best part: he did that for 20 years without saying a word and waited till he finally got caught red-handed to make his point.

Trust me that this case is similar to the tiger temple drama: at the surface it seems questionable but IF the authorities will ever dig deeper they will find enough to smell up Thailands reputation for years to come. Maybe not just at this piece of land but at least around this monk.

The IF is a big one due to the monks connections and his help toppling a government while running an armed mob through the streets.

[Bob12345]

Is encroachment illegally? Yes.

Did he encroach on illegal land? Yes.

He is guilty as charge and no exception.

Has Phra Budda Isara refuted the charges ? No.

He expressed his readiness to face legal consequences for his forest encroachment.

He called on the Forest Department to take legal action against all forest encroachers, including himself.​

Plus he is reforesting it and that can be proven.. so he is in fact helping Thailand, same can't be said for the monk that is aligned with Big T and is helping laundering the money from Kluong Chang credit union.

What a difference one monk helping to con poor people out of their live savings and the other helping to reforest things and ready to accept charges. Of course clear to all who is on what side and shows the morality of the side they are on.

It is simplistic to analyse everything in terms of red and yellow, and leads to many false conclusions. It is well proven that corruption exists on both sides of the political divide. It is also naive to take the statements of any person, but especially one such as Issara or Dammachayo at face value. Both of them are professional con-artists,

Lack of balance in your posts will prevent people from taking you seriously.

Of course there is corruption on both sides.. i was just stuck by the difference.. one is replanting forests (and willing to face chargers) and the other is helping defrauding poor people from a credit union (and keeps hiding and finding excuses).

However if its proven that he did not reforest them and used it commercially ill eat my words, should not be hard to see if he has been reforesting. I recently saw an article about him reforesting and it seemed legit.

You are missing the point; he did something illegal and should be prosecuted. Even though Taksin was worse he should still be prosecuted.

If he just wanted to replant forest he should have contacted the right authorities (ministry or even the king) and asked for permission to replant the forest

Guess that would have earned him more status, money, supporters, and respect than with how he did it now.

(Please do not make a fool out of yourself saying that this monk does not want status, money, supporters, and respect)

[12DrinkMore]

Phra Budda Isara said that the encroached area in national forest reserves was about 300 rai and not 3,000 rai as wrongly reported.

The abbot went on saying that he had been reforesting denuded forests since 1989 and had reforested about 1,000 rai so far.

Its only about 300 Rai but he reforested 1000 rai so far.

He should be disrobed.

Ever thought that that he has reforested other forest areas? But you're correct he is a knob head.

I do wish you had not written that.

From now on every time I see a monk the word, "bell-end" will come to mind. The shaven head reinforces the metaphor.