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BANGKOK: Thailand’s Buddhist governing body ordered monks on Wednesday (November 11) not to join the protests that have been going on for months against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and to demand restrictions to the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
“The Supreme Council of the Sangha made resolutions to prohibit monks and novices from participating in politics, including joining protests and expressing political opinions,” said a spokesman for the government’s National Buddhism Office.
More than 90 percent of Thais are Buddhist and religion has traditionally been regarded as one of the pillars of Thai society, along with the nation and the monarchy.
READ: Thai Prime Minister urges calm ‘from all sides’ in protests
Buddhist monks are seen during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 8, 2020 (Photo: Reuters / Panu Wongcha-um)
Although there has been no widespread participation by monks in the protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people, some have joined the crowd in their saffron robes.
“I will continue to join the protests to let them know that this is not correct and that it is inconsistent with the voices of most monks,” said Chistnupong Praiparee, 21, a monk who has attended three protests.
He said he wants the reform of the Sangha Supreme Council in addition to the other demands of the protesters.
The protesters are seeking the removal of Prayut, a former leader of the military government who held power after last year’s disputed elections.
They also want a new constitution and a reduction in the powers of the monarchy, saying it has allowed decades of rule by the army.
READ: Thai police use water cannons against protesters in Bangkok
A Buddhist monk reacts after being hit by a water cannon during an anti-government protest in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 16, 2020 (Photo: Reuters / Jorge Silva).
Under the military rule of Prayuth, the king was given the power to appoint Thailand’s chief monk to head the Sangha, even if the council had chosen another candidate.
Thai monks cannot vote and, in principle, were already excluded from politics.
They have never played such an important role in Thai politics as the monks who helped push neighboring Myanmar toward democratic reforms more than a decade ago. But a now-expelled monk, Buddha Issara, was among the leaders of the royalist protests against the elected populist government that Prayut overthrew in 2014.
Thailand’s official Islamic body, which represents the Muslim minority, organized a show of support for the monarchy on Tuesday.
