The Prime Minister says authorities should bide their time before raiding Wat Phra Dhammakaya to arrest its former abbot Phra Dhammajayo, saying any rush will lead to officials "falling into a trap".
Asked if authorities could bring Phra Dhammajayo to justice before or after the New Year, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said police and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) are dealing with the temple and its abbots according to the law.
The DSI and police will have to tread carefully in handling the issue to avoid unrest, Gen Prayut said, adding he did not give them any deadline. "When the time is right, they will execute the arrest warrants. There is no need to rush. We can predict what they want, so we do not want to walk straight into their trap. It's the government's job to control the situation," Gen Prayut said.
He was speaking after 1,000 police together with DSI officials on Tuesday morning launched an operation to surround the temple, which many Thais assumed was the start of a move to raid it. However, the forces ended their operation in the afternoon after only removing barriers which were preventing access to the temple's gates.
Deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul insisted police deployed outside the temple early Tuesday were not there to arrest the former abbot.
They were trying to reclaim public space occupied by the temple, he said, adding the outcome of the operation was satisfactory.
Police will also consider legal action against those who obstructed the operation and block public routes, Pol Gen Srivara said, adding a total of 175 lawsuits have been filed against the temple and those affiliated with the temple.
He said police would not attempt to enter the grounds of the temple in Khlong Luang district. National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda was the only person who could order moves to seek a fresh search warrant and the arrest of Phra Dhammajayo, its founder and now honorary abbot.
About 1,000 crowd-control police and officials from the DSI, along with a vehicle-mounted sound cannon, gathered at Khlong Luang district office about 5am, and were deployed outside all gates of the 2,000 rai walled-in temple shortly before dawn.
The temple opened only two gates -- Gate 5 and Gate 6 -- Tuesday, to allow monks and supporters to attend a "prayer activity" as usual.
In the media, many believed the police would try to enter Wat Phra Dhammakaya and arrest Phra Dhammajayo.
Pol Gen Srivara downplayed the deployment of the forces, saying they were acting on a request by the provincial office of the Treasury Department to clear barricades and tents that temple staff had put up at two spots, outside Gate 5 and Gate 6, on Khlong L 2-3 Road. "There will be no raid, arrest or search operation inside the temple," Pol Gen Srivara said. "The situation will not escalate. I've stressed to the officers to refrain from using force."
The operation to clear the barricades, apparently put there to prevent authorities from entering, was partially successful at Gate 5, after a two-hour negotiation.
The police withdrew at 1.30pm. They were able to remove some metal barricades, a fence made of galvanised iron and screening mesh. The tent structure remained.
At least seven drones were seen flying above the temple during the operation. At dawn, the DSI officers at Gate 4 sent up a drone to obtain video footage of the situation inside the temple grounds. The drone was in the air for about 10 minutes and it was called back when someone inside seemingly tried to cripple it or bring it down with a portable laser.
Around 7am, at Gate 6, disciples wearing raincoats and masks placed long tables across the entrance. Monks and supporters also sat down inside, near the gate, and prayed, serving as a human shield.
At 9am, security officers at Gate 5 started talks with the disciples inside but could not reach an agreement.
By noon, the officers gave them 10 minutes to clear away the items or they would begin removing them. When the deadline passed, police began to remove the barricades, using a truck.
Around that time, a representative of the temple, Ai Petchthong, made an announcement over a loudspeaker asking temple followers to cooperate with the police. He said the police were there just to remove the barricades, not raid the temple or arrest Phra Dhammajayo.
Earlier, police obtained four warrants from the court to search the temple and detain the senior monk, but no action was taken and the warrants expired.
Phra Dhammajayo was indicted on money-laundering charges in connection with the multi-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement scandal.
The monk is also the subject of warrants for alleged forest encroachment by the temple's meditation facilities in Nakhon Ratchasima and Loei provinces.
