Thai monks order reforms following scandals

BANGKOK: Under growing pressure from the military government and their own religious bodies, Buddhist monks have launched a fresh round of reforms in recent weeks to clean up temples and overhaul a religion stalked by scandal.

Buddhism, Thailand’s dominant religion, is followed by more than 90 per cent of the population. But, its image has suffered following sex scandals involving monks and allegations of money laundering by a former abbot of Thailand’s biggest temple.

The scandals have prompted calls for tighter checks on the finances of thousands of temples in the country.

Since last month, senior monks have issued orders to enforce stronger discipline for Thailand’s more than 300,000 monks and some 40,000 temples.

The orders come at a sensitive time as the country prepares to cremate the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej next week and the formal coronation of his only son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

The written instructions tell monks to stop asking for donations and temples to stop selling holy objects inside their grounds.

The instructions appear to be aimed at making temple finances more transparent and to counter criticism about the commercialisation of religion in the country.

Other orders instruct senior monks to tightly control “inappropriate use of social media” by monks to prevent “criticism from the public”.

The orders were endorsed by the Sangha Supreme Council, the body that governs Buddhist monks in Thailand.

“These rules already exist for monks, but their implementation may have been lax,” said Sangha Supreme Council member Phra Phrom Moli.

One order given last month by a group of temples in Thailand’s northeast region asked monks to police each other and report any behaviour that might go against Buddhist teachings.

“Please take care of monks who are not practising discipline,” the order read. Reuters