DSI mulls asking govt to lift temple ‘control’ order

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is considering asking the government to revoke an order declaring Wat Phra Dhammakaya “a specially controlled area”.

The order, under Section 44 of the interim charter, has been in force since Feb 16 to allow a search of the temple to locate former abbot Phra Dhammajayo. The DSI called off the hunt on March 10, saying the 73-year-old monk could not be found.

DSI director-general Paisit Wongmuang said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam has asked his agency to assess whether the Section 44-based order is still needed.

Pol Col Paisit said the DSI has recently received good cooperation from the temple, while no efforts had been made to oppose officials or spread “distorted information” through social media.

The improvement in the situation would be cited by the DSI when asking the government to revoke the order, he said.

He insisted the manhunt for Phra Dhammajayo is still under way and his arrest can be carried out under ordinary law.

“No intelligence has indicated Phra Dhammajayo is still hiding in the area around Wat Phra Dhammakaya,” said Pol Col Paisit.

Officials earlier accused people in the network of hardcore red-shirt leader Wuthipong Kochathamkun, alias Kotee, of planning to use force against officials who had laid siege to the temple. The network is allegedly behind a huge cache of weapons found in a Pathum Thani house on March 18.

A Lao man, Hasadee Thiphason, has been arrested for alleged involvement with the network. Officials suspect he stockpiled and delivered weapons to Mr Wuthipong, who is believed to be in Laos, to stage unrest in Thailand.

However, officials have so far found only sound systems in Mr Hasadee’s possession.

“People in the network accumulated weapons and communicated with each other all the time,” Pol Col Paisit said.

Officials will also find out whether Mr Wuthipong has fled from Laos to Vietnam so an arrangement could be made to extradite him to Thailand, he said.