PM Prayut orders probe into irregularities in monastic affairs

[webfact]

PM orders probe into irregularities in monastic affairs

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha yesterday ordered investigations into irregularities in the allocation of renovation funds for temple across the country following alleged corruption conspiracy between state and temple officials.

 

The accused officials are both current and former officials attached to the Office of the National Buddhism (ONAB).

 

He pointed finger at the current financial affairs of the temple which should be revamped for the sake of transparency. 

 

Commenting on the current probe of corruption in the monastic affairs, Gen Prayut said there was nothing to worry about as the investigation process was underway.

 

He said the government is working and discussing measures, including the registration of bank accounts of temple, with relevant ministers, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Justice Ministry, the ONAB and the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand at the moment.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-orders-probe-irregularities-monastic-affairs/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-06-14

[thhMan]

Wow. thats good news... not that its really news.. You would have to be a complete IDJUT not to know that...

[Lupatria]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The accused officials are both current and former officials attached to the Office of the National Buddhism (ONAB).

All accused officials will get a 2 week notice in advance before up to 40 arrest warrants per head will be delivered by the experienced (SIMHS) Special Invisible Monks Hunter Squad.

Edited June 14, 2017 by Lupatria

[Artisi]

Trust they can utilise the vast experience gained with the flying saucer monk as a means to completely screwing up any meaningful investigation / law enforcement / closure to this minor infraction of Buddhist temple affairs? 

[TheFishman1]

Lol so where did he get all his money TIT

[colinneil]

Surely the PM  has got it wrong irregularitiesi in monastic affairs, not possible.

All monks are honest people

Yes anybody who believes that is living in cloud cuckoo land.

[wakeupplease]

12 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Surely the PM  has got it wrong irregularitiesi in monastic affairs, not possible.

All monks are honest people

Yes anybody who believes that is living in cloud cuckoo land.

Honest Monks

 

I would love to meet one, its the biggest con in the country and has been for years, Free real estate and one on ever 1 k marker all over the country and where is the first place the criminals run to looking for protection.

[anon4546543]

The wat around the district I live in and the monks are not in on this. Most of the monks are 3 month novices who do their time

to appease their parents. The full timers do it fairly tough. They actually do almost constant work, cremation ceremonies that go on for days,

weddings, house warming/blessing, full moon holy days, visitations and so on. My wife and I attend on full moon days, it is the only time the

monks get a bit of an almost special meal. Sometimes they are given new "habits" on the day of actual cremation. Other than that,

they seem to do it hard. All the wat around here are in dire need of maintenance. Don't know how they can scam as the personal affairs are

basically run by the villagers and the village budget. 

[jak2002003]

27 minutes ago, spiderorchid said:

The wat around the district I live in and the monks are not in on this. Most of the monks are 3 month novices who do their time

to appease their parents. The full timers do it fairly tough. They actually do almost constant work, cremation ceremonies that go on for days,

weddings, house warming/blessing, full moon holy days, visitations and so on. My wife and I attend on full moon days, it is the only time the

monks get a bit of an almost special meal. Sometimes they are given new "habits" on the day of actual cremation. Other than that,

they seem to do it hard. All the wat around here are in dire need of maintenance. Don't know how they can scam as the personal affairs are

basically run by the villagers and the village budget. 

Depends of who the head man is.. and his family connections, friends, businesses etc.

 

The temple in my village is a disgrace and the monks openly do many things that are far from appropriate.  With them and the head man's family.. it's like a mini mafia here... villagers too scared to say or do anything against it... although the temple now has virtually zero worshippers... only hundreds of people come at the big parties it throws for fancy weddings etc a few times a year. 

 

It went from a traditional poor temple.. with a few nice monks walking down the road to collect alms... to a huge, dripping in money, buildings, pick up trucks and parties in the space of 5 years.. after the old abbot died.

 

 

[anon4546543]

1 minute ago, jak2002003 said:

Depends of who the head man is.. and his family connections, friends, businesses etc.

 

The temple in my village is a disgrace and the monks openly do many things that are far from appropriate.  With them and the head man's family.. it's like a mini mafia here... villagers too scared to say or do anything against it... although the temple now has virtually zero worshippers... only hundreds of people come at the big parties it throws for fancy weddings etc a few times a year. 

 

It went from a traditional poor temple.. with a few nice monks walking down the road to collect alms... to a huge, dripping in money, buildings, pick up trucks and parties in the space of 5 years.. after the old abbot died.

 

 

I am sorry to hear that? Just a few questions though. Like where is all this money coming from? How does it operate like a mafia?

How does the temple become "huge, dripping with money, buildings pick up trucks" if the only source of income is "a few weddings and parties a few times a year?"

 I am not doubting you . But I know my poor rural village and the farmers struggle to feed themselves, never mind lavish parties and weddings.

 My wife makes som tom once a month for the monks. The head monk has thanked her often for giving them a decent meal. I cannot see how it can become corrupted unless you have space ship believers.

[YetAnother]

well he got one right; not that any results are in yet

[Cadbury]

PM Prayuth is doing a lot of probing lately. Mostly to do with pelvic thrusting and lewd dancing but it seems he has transgressed to the probing of the all too familiar sins of the monks.

Probing the immorality of the monkhood should keep him well and truly occupied and hopefully distract him from the seductive lure of the female pelvis. Tosser!

 

[Prbkk]

Better late than never, I guess and I can't find the 'horse has bolted' gif. Maybe he can learn from his long overdue response to this and concurrently run a serious investigation of corporate malfeasance, insider trading and price-fixing cartels. Not bloody likely.

[Krataiboy]

"Irregularities" is a prissy and inappropriate description for embezzlement on a grand scale and the numerous other nefarious and criminal activities surrounding Thailand's national religion, which have been studiously swept under the carpet by so many for so long.

 

One can understand the reluctance of millions of gullible devotees of the Thai brand of Buddhism to get involved in cleaning out the Gaderene stables which some temples have become.

 

But as yet another massive missing money scandal breaks in the wake of the Dahmmakaya temple affair - an ongoing farce which has  (rightly) earned the current Thai administration and the forces of law and order humiliating headlines around the world - the General must do what the Buddhist hierarchy clearly can't or won't.

 

It's time to call the squad to attention and get out the brooms and buckets of disinfectant.

Edited June 15, 2017 by Krataiboy
errors

[Artisi]

On Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at 6:55 PM, spiderorchid said:

The wat around the district I live in and the monks are not in on this. Most of the monks are 3 month novices who do their time

to appease their parents. The full timers do it fairly tough. They actually do almost constant work, cremation ceremonies that go on for days,

weddings, house warming/blessing, full moon holy days, visitations and so on. My wife and I attend on full moon days, it is the only time the

monks get a bit of an almost special meal. Sometimes they are given new "habits" on the day of actual cremation. Other than that,

they seem to do it hard. All the wat around here are in dire need of maintenance. Don't know how they can scam as the personal affairs are

basically run by the villagers and the village budget. 

The small village wats  in many cases do it tough unlike  the bigger grandiose locations  supported by the well-to-do buying their way into a supposedly better next life - the majority of these need Investigation and auditing.