[natty]

[Credit to thaivisa.com for post]

Monks, protesters block Parliament gate

BANGKOK: -- Turmoil broke out in front of Parliament when a group of Buddhist protesters tried to break into the compound of Parliament.

The monks and protesters laid siege at the north gate of Parliament when officials did not allow some 100 monks to go inside to pray at the King Rama VII statue.

The protesters and monks moved to the gate at about 2:45 pm and asked officials to let them inside. The negotiation took about 20 minutes.

After the officials insisted that the monks and protesters could not get inside the compound of Parliament, the protesters shouted abusive words and rock the gate.

The turmoil lasted about 10 minutes and ended after a leader of the protest, Gen Thongchai Kuasakul, chairman of the Network of Buddhist Organisations, asked the protesters to calm down and step away from the gate.

The monks later retreated from the gate and sat in the middle of the road to pray.

-- The Nation 2007-06-11
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Protests start to multiply

Thousands of monks and supporters blocked traffic and started a one-day hunger strike in front of Parliament on Monday to demand that Buddhism be declared the national religion in the new constitution. The campaign is the latest in a growing number of protests that the Council for National Security, as the coup leaders now call themselves, are being forced to address.

Last Friday, around 10,000 supporters of Thaksin's ousted administration rallied in front of Bangkok's golden-spired Grand Palace before marching to the army's headquarters to call for army chief and coup supremo Sonthi Boonyaratglin to step down. He has refused.

The estimated 5,000 Buddhist monks and religious activists were trying to influence the 100 members of the Constitutional Drafting Council to amend their draft charter at the last minute. "We will fast and pray for all 100 members to respond to our demand," Thongchai Guasakul, the retired army general who led the rally, told reporters outside parliament.

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(*my notes: in the old parliament, isnt buddhism declared as the national religion? so why the change? cus the coup leader is muslim?*)

[kluay]

whatever the situation is monks should not be involve I am a Buddhist too don't like seeing monks do this kind of thing really. Thanks natty I saw the news too but like I said I don't agree with monks protesting let Thai citizens do the protest why get involve.

[natty]

well kluay.. i somewhat disagree.. the monks are protesting peacefully, it's the other that are using violent. and also monks protesting are sometime a good thing.. how else did the last dictator step down? when they changed the last ratitamanoon? were it not because of the monks and the students protesting?

[natty]

Religious Affairs Dept. is looking into monks who are protesting in front of Parliament

The Department of Religious Affairs may take legal action against Buddhist monks who marched into the Parliament yesterday (Jun 11). The monks demand Buddhism to be stated as the national religion of Thailand in the new constitution.

The Director-General of the Department of Religious Affairs, Mr. Preecha Kanthiya, says the department has sent a legal team to investigate the case, and the department will assess how public members view such act conducted by monks.

Mr. Preecha says the department has also informed monk deans in 18 areas, asking them to warn monks of their movements. He says the monks who do not change their behaviors may have to leave or retire from the Buddhist monkhood.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 12 June 2007

[deaha]

wai, so they only want to pray? then they should be allowed in! but protest is not part of buddhism..... that is wrong

[yadfon]

protesting in peaceful manner is a way to show unity and against whatever they are protesting. if no violence involve and their reason for protesting is just, the police and military have no rite to stop them. if they do not protest, how would others know what they wanted and how to get others watching the event on TV to support them?

[rissaya]

WOW! Chao in Thailand...Buddhism has been the NATIONAL RELIGION among Southeast Asian countries for several decades, especially in Thailand and approximately 98% are Buddhists. Everywhere you go there are temples and other dwellings that relates to Buddhism...

It is good that Buddhist Monks are protesting in peaceful and in civil manner, because if you go back in the past, Buddhists Monks has been actively involved with changes within country. Beside, monks are to protect and doing good deeds for the citizens.

WOW! Thailand's constitution is like a BIG JOKE! They had modified that constitution several years ago and now again (one day feel like modifying it then next don't feel like it) haha...what a JOKE...well to me anyhow...

KEEP THERVADA BUDDHIST A NATIONAL RELIGION! SPREAD THE WORD...