Tension mounts as Thai police order thousands out of scandal-hit temple
BANGKOK: Thousands of followers of Thailand’s biggest Buddhist temple Buddhist temple defied orders to leave its grounds on Sunday to enable police to seek out their former abbot, who is accused of money laundering.
Police ordered worshippers to leave Dhammakaya temple by 3 pm so that they could intensify the search for former abbot Phra Dhammachayo.
But his followers, who want the authorities to suspend their siege, flocked into the 1,000 acre compound.
Many held rudimentary placards in English and Thai calling for police to stand down and appealing for international attention and help.
Thailand’s ruling junta used a special emergency law on Thursday to let police explore the Dhammakaya Temple after months of failing to get it to hand over Phra Dhammachayo.
“We have cooperated with the government every step of the way but this is one step too far,” temple spokesman and senior monk Phra Pasura Dantamano said.
“We’re asking authorities suspend the emergency law and to lift their siege. Our supplies are low and we have been without power or water for three days.”
Thailand’s Department of Special Investigations ordered all nonresidents to leave the premises because temple activities were hindering police in their search.
Monks who live in the temple were told to gather separately. The department also ordered 14 temple elders to give themselves up to police or face arrest. The temple is unusual in defying the military government.
Opposition from political parties and activists has largely been silenced since a coup in 2014.
Phra Dhammachayo faces charges of conspiracy to launder money and receive stolen goods, as well as taking over land unlawfully to build meditation centres. His aides dismiss the accusations as politically motivated. Although the temple has no overt political affiliation, the abbot is widely believed to have had links with populist former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was overthrown in 2006.