Thai police intensify the hunt for monk
THAI police began sweeping a scandal-hit Buddhist temple yesterday to search for a wanted monk, who has evaded arrest for months in a saga highlighting a split over the nation’s faith.
The search of the powerful and ultra-rich Wat Dammakaya temple on Bangkok’s outskirts comes after Thailand’s junta chief invoked special powers to put its sprawling 404.7ha compound under military control.
Previous attempts to raid the temple were thwarted after thousands of devotees showed up to defend Phra Dhammachayo, the septuagenarian monk, who founded the breakaway Buddhist order in 1970. — AFP