Suwit backs down, says monks can stay

ENCROACHMENT

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti has surrendered to the fierce protest against his plan to evict forest-dwelling monks from the wild and decided to allow more than 6,000 monasteries to legally operate in protected forest areas.

Official permits to grant the monasteries rights to remain in the forest would be granted to 6,038 forest temples early next month at Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima province, the minister said yesterday.

"After discussing the matter with the Department of Religious Affairs, the ministry has agreed to grant the operation permits to the existing forest temples on the condition that they must not expand the premises and have to preserve the forest areas," Mr Suwit said. "If any of the temples failed to follow the conditions, their land use permits will be revoked."

No more temples would be allowed to be set up in the forests from now on, he said.

Sunan Arunnopparat, deputy chief of the Royal Forest Department, said officials would measure the temples' area to ensure monks don't expand the monasteries' premises.

According to the department, of the 6,038 forest temples across the nation, 4,200 are in protected forest areas, while only 1,999 temples legally obtained land use permits from the department.

Most of the forest temples are in northeastern provinces, such as Loei, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.

Mr Suwit has raised concerns over the increasing number of forest-dwelling monks, saying the trend could be harmful to the ecological system and proposed to remove them from the jungle.

The minister's idea met strong opposition from the monks, who claimed they have lived in harmony and tried to save the forest.

Mr Suwit agreed to revoke the eviction proposals.

The minister, however, insisted he would move ahead with another controversial idea to set up the World Buddhism Centre on a 20,000-rai forest land in Nakhon Ratchasima province, saying he would launch the donation campaign for the centre's construction during the land use permits granting ceremony.