A friend of mine who was once a senior official in the Religious Affairs Department told me at a reunion of Chulalongkorn University political science old boys on Saturday that he sent a letter to the prime minister with suggestions on how to deal with Phra Dhammajayo, the former abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. He said he disagreed with the widely-publicised way the government has gone about its latest search of the temple to find the elusive monk, adding it will not work.
My friend, Charuey Nookong, who handled the cases of such rogue monks as Phra Yantra, Phra Nikorn, Phra Pawana Puttho and Nen Kum, said the most effective way to deal with this issue is through monastic procedures, not secular legal procedure, and have misbehaving monks defrocked.
It has been more than 10 days since the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) launched this large-scale operation that is using more than 4,000 men and women from the police, military and its own personnel to look for one man, Phra Dhammajayo. They have managed to comb just two zones, A and B, representing just a fraction of the 2,000-rai-plus Dhammakaya empire.
The search parties have uncovered a spa, a swimming pool, cosmetics, a fitness room -- such things that are normally not supposed to be found in a temple, let alone used by monks who ordain to live a humble and simple life. What is the use of a spa or cosmetics? To enhance the aura of Phra Dhammajayo so he looks forever young despite his 70 years of age to charm his followers?
Veera Prateepchaikul is a former editor, Bangkok Post.
But no trace of the former abbot. It is not known whether he is still hiding somewhere in the temple or outside the temple. Or if he is abroad.
Army Commander-in-Chief Chalermchai Sittisart, for instance, believes the elusive monk is still hiding in the temple's grounds, or his faithful monks and followers would not have come out in force to protect him.
So, the search will go on, but for how long -- two weeks, three weeks, a month or more?
Judging from the situation on the ground, it looks like the Dhammakaya followers are prepared for a long-haul standoff with the authorities. The temple has plenty of money to mobilise its supporters into protesting against the authorities given there won't be an expensive celebration of Phra Dhammajayo's birthday on April 22, as he is supposed to be on the run. According to Thai News Online, April 22 is one of the biggest events of the year for the temple and most yearned-for by monks throughout the country.
Before the birthday each year, invitations are sent to some 30,000 temples throughout the country to invite monks to attend the celebration at Wat Phra Dhammakaya. All the monks and novices who attend are assured they will not return home empty-handed. Handouts in cash or cheques are given, from 500 baht for a novice and up to one million baht, depending on the rank of the monk (such as a tambon chief monk, a district chief monk, a regional chief monk, up to members of the Supreme Sangha Council).
So it is not surprising senior monks on the Sangha Council are reluctant to take any monastic action against Phra Dhammajayo. And why many monks continue to support him and disavow all criminal charges against him. There has been no compassion for the tens of thousands of depositors who put their hard-earned income into Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative -- income and savings that were stolen or siphoned off by the cooperative's top executives to be donated to the temple and Phra Dhammajayo.
Can the DSI sustain a long-haul siege with its step-by-step strategy of light to tougher measures to deal with the determined protesters? In wake of the unexpected suicide by one of the followers who hanged himself from a phone signal tower at the temple on Saturday night, the DSI, which is spearheading the operation, may have to rethink its approach. Common sense dictates this may not be the last suicide.
Even though we don't want it to happen, there are fanatics who are ready to do anything to protect their beloved leader.
Scrapping the Section 44 order as demanded by the defiant followers, or bowing to the demand the DSI withdraw its forces from the temple would be a loss of face for the DSI and the government.
As suggested by my friend Charuey, the government needs to explore the monastic way with the goal of defrocking Phra Dhammajayo, using as a base the complaints lodged by Somporn Thepsittha, deputy chairman of the National Legislative Assembly committee on religious affairs, and Paiboon Nititawan, a member of the now-defunct National Reform Council.
It appears the government is seriously pursuing the monastic approach as seen in the recent instruction from the new supreme patriarch for his secretary to call a meeting of the chief monk of Pathum Thani and other monks in the province to discuss the issue.
The abrupt dismissal of the director of the National Office of Buddhism, Panom Sornsilp, who was known to be a sympathiser of the Dhammakaya cult, by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Saturday seems to have lent weight to a second approach to dealing with the rogue monk.
One man has already sacrificed his life to protect Phra Dhammajayo. Will he continue to hide and see more such sacrifices before emerging to face the law as he should?