Defiant Dhammakaya monks say they are willing to be arrested rather than leaving

[webfact]

Defiant monks say they are willing to be arrested rather than leaving

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Defiant Dhammakaya monks have declared that they will not leave their protest site at Klong Luang market as demanded by the Department of Special Investigation and are ready to get arrested by the authorities.

 

The new unofficial spokesman of Dhammakaya monks, Phra Palad Seksan Auttathamo, said Monday that the protesting monks had resorted to civil disobedience and appealed to the government to scrap Section 44 of the interim constitution.

 

Claiming that all the monks and lay followers of Dhammakaya cult had been protesting peacefully at Klong Luang market, he wondered why the authorities had to apply pressure on them to leave the market as if they were southern insurgents.

 

Phra Palad Seksant admitted that he was not aware of the charges against him, but he would report himself to the police as summonsed and was willing to be detained but would not leave the monkhood or forced to be defrocked.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/defiant-monks-say-willing-arrested-rather-leaving/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-03-07

[ezzra]

 

Just wondering  how all those thousands of monks make a living and pay

debts and carry on life as all of us? are they getting a stipend and living

allowances from the temple, who support all those multitude of these idle

people, what's good they bring to society except to ' meditate ' and collect

alms? I have no problem with Buddhism  and it's practitioners overall,

but these guys are way past being a humble monks....

[colinneil]

Just a bunch of layabouts with too much time on their idol hands.

Monks my a..e spongers, too lazy to do anything useful, constructive.

Just a bunch of rabble rousers.

[maewang99]

they will defrock him. 

 

he already had his head hair shaved, so that can't be "taken back". 

but the orange towel can be.

 



 

[BuckBee]

You can buy an orange towl anywhere lol

To be honest it about time all this religious bull got dumped, religion is biggest lie of them all and for the weak, lazy and low life scammers, about time mankind moved past this farce and concentrated on bigger concerns of environment etc.

As thailand loves it's BS this soft flexible buddhism fits in well and makes being lazy or organised crime easy and hard crack down upon.

Quite ironic to think a mad monk and a corrupt buck suthep forced the junta into power and now. A bunch of hooky monks are putting up best fight to date against buck bannana and his 44 , lol, makes you smile watching this pantomime ...

[maewang99]

15 minutes ago, BuckBee said:

You can buy an orange towl anywhere lol

To ne honest it about time all this religious bull got dumped, religion is biggest lie of them all and for the weak, lazy and low life scammers, about time mankind moved past this farce and concentrated on bigger concerns of environment etc.

I think it's much more than that. take chanting. you live in the moment, right? you stop abstract thoughts and think in terms of what you smell, hear, see and feel. which is how all large creatures exist.... the total opposite of this is to be plugged in... to the Sapien world of infinite perspectives, Theories of Mind (other people's perspectives) etc etc etc etc .... that is only possible... by....

 

it's very simple yes? too simple. what we are doing right now.

abstract thought is how we know about the passage of time, or are able to categorize things... language is everything of what makes us "human". not our tree branch grabbing thumbs.  

and Thai is all but 100% phonetically written..... unlike any other tonal language... and the written language shows no signs of being used for......

I don't mean textbooks... or comic books... I mean everything else. i.e. novels. 

that's the HOW of "Thai Culture". 

 

the schools and temples are merely WHERE. 


   

[smedly]

get arrested or resist arrest - if it is get arrested then they may as well just hand themselves in under arrest lol

 

resist arrest an entirely different thing, it seems that this is a fight about whether temples and monks should be above the law or answerable to it like everyone else is supposed to be - time for change me thinks and they brought it on themselves as more and more stories emerge of misconduct and abuse of privilege - time for change

[leeneeds]

A new monkey house in the making,

very hard to have communication when one side does not listen

stubborn to the eighth degree

[maewang99]

10 minutes ago, leeneeds said:

A new monkey house in the making,

very hard to have communication when one side does not listen

stubborn to the eighth degree

 

they learn to hear but not listen for 20 years or so in a "school". 

kind of hard habit to break?

    

 

[Saraphee]

They expressed their intentions - so go get 'em

[graemeaylward]

This reminds me of a similar situation in England in the year 1170 when the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, and his priests felt that they were above the law of the land, and were only answerable to church law! It did not end well for the head of the church! The reigning monarch, Henry II was at his wits end as to what to do to end the standoff. He is famously quoted as saying "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" Whereupon 4 knights took it upon themselves to dispatch Thomas by the sword in Canterbury Cathedral. 

[webfact]

DSI finds Dhammakaya Temple preparing militaristic responses to search

 

BANGKOK, 7 March 2017 (NNT) – Aerial footage collected by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has revealed that followers within Dhammakaya Temple have set up militaristic formations to obstruct the search for their former abbot. 

Deputy Spokesman for the DSI Pol Maj Woranan Srilam has led a contingent of press members to view a moat being dug around Dhammakaya Temple which has been partially filled with gasoline. He pointed out such a construct is indicative of a military strategy and is more concerning considering the recent discovery of 200 liter drums suspected of being filled with flammable fuel. He also indicated such an act is in clear violation of Section 44 of the interim constitution and has provided grounds for all those still in the temple to be removed. 

More reports from the DSI revealed that monks and clergy of the temple have been spotted gathering in the connection between its Zone D and Zone A with most resisting being searched by authorities. Officials have had to contact authorities from the National Office of Buddhism to assist in clearing up the situation. 

The DSI has issued an additional 91 arrest warrants, bringing the total amount of people wanted for questioning to 200.

 

-- nnt 2017-03-07

[canuckamuck]

Hope we are not building up to another Waco type tragedy. This thing is getting bizzare even for Thailand.

[Mickmouse1]

 Not peaceful after all.Now they show their real philosophy. Money and Moral corruption is in their blood.

Their=...?????? Take a guess...

[smedly]

if this is true then this for me has gone beyond the remit of a civilian police force

 

two options remain - either walk away or send in troops and clear this place once and for all - then bulldoze the entire thing

 

Time for Thai buddhism  to get back to basics and come under the laws of the land and financial regulation, people in this country cannot be trusted to act properly when huge amounts of money is involved no matter WAT frock they hide under

[rijb]

Call their bluff.  Arrest 10 monks a day.  They can't make new ones that fast.  They'll run out of monks sooner or later.

[GarryP]

I don't think they believe they are above the law. But more that they don't believe they have done anything wrong. The funds from the savings cooperative were returned as soon as it was determined their source was illicit. But why aren't the other recipients of such funds being investigated, despite not returning the funds.  It seems to me it this is just an attempt by the Junta to control the temple as  the Junta cannot afford to have a growing Buddhist group that does not bend to its whims and whimsy or show sufficient deference to another "institution". They keep trying to tie it with Thaksin and the red shirts in the local press (which is under Junta oversight), but in fact there are more followers from the other side of the divide. The longer this goes on, the worse the authorities look.  

 

I definitely think the teachings of this place are wrong and the followers sorely misguided, but that does not make it illegal. And if you are going full out for this lot, you should not turn a blind eye to Prah Issara, a militant monk if ever there was one..   

[pookiki]

I think they have a role model.

[Bluespunk]

If they are willing to be arrested, then do so.

 

Maybe they can explain the concept to their leader.

[Bluespunk]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Claiming that all the monks and lay followers of Dhammakaya cult had been protesting peacefully at Klong Luang market, he wondered why the authorities had to apply pressure on them to leave the market as if they were southern insurgents.

Clearly has no idea about the Southern conflict.

[AGareth2]

10 minutes ago, pookiki said:

I think they have a role model.

i think he is one of the movers against the temple movement

[pookiki]

Just now, AGareth2 said:

i think he is one of the movers against the temple movement

Just meant to be another example of how religion and politics mesh in Thailand and what is regarded as acceptable and what isn't.  Same tactics. 

[NCC1701A]

"The new unofficial spokesman of Dhammakaya monks, Phra Palad Seksan Auttathamo, said Monday that the protesting monks had resorted to civil disobedience and appealed to the government to scrap Section 44 of the interim constitution."

 

the plot thickens.

[farcanell]

They need to go all Wacko Texas on these bananas.... or at least jump on them at three am, and cart em all off.... wish granted