Respect the rule of law

Respect the rule of law

There is no doubt that law enforcement officials and the government are at a thorny and highly sensitive stage of the controversy surrounding Phra Dhammajayo, the abbot of Wat Dhammakaya.

The abbot is wanted on an arrest warrant approved by the Criminal Court on charges of laundering money and receiving stolen property worth 1.2 billion baht in connection with the 12-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC) embezzlement case.

The abbot as well as the temple have long been a target of ardent critics while supporters -- among them wealthy and influential individuals -- are ultra loyal. The fact the abbot and temple are perceived to be close to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra complicates matters considerably.

Phra Dhammajayo has cited his illness for not appearing before the Department of Special Investigation to face the charges. Thousands of the abbot's supporters have turned up at the temple where certain entrances are barricaded, fences barb-wired and security cameras installed, making it difficult for a straight-out arrest.

The leadership of Wat Dhammakaya claims it is necessary to beef up security because it fears the influence of a "third element". Wat Dhammakaya must refrain from mobilising its supporters as this could lead to violence. An outbreak of violence is what law enforcers and the government want to avoid.

Wat Dhammakaya should realise it has a crucial role to play in preventing a confrontation. The temple says its abbot is innocent. If the abbot is indeed innocent he should agree to be part of the judicial process and fight the case in court, which will take years before a final verdict is delivered.

The belief that he is a saint and cannot be touched is not justified given that thousands have suffered in this fraud case. Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya is right in saying the abbot's supporters should try to distinguish between their faith in the monk and the DSI's duty to enforce the law in the money-laundering case.

Those followers should also think about the thousands of people who lost their savings to the KCUC embezzlement and who have been fighting for justice for over a decade.

In its attempt to avoid confrontation, the DSI has asked Phra Theprattanasuthi, the chief monk of Pathum Thani, to seek Phra Dhammajayo's surrender, which illustrates how they are trying all options to avoid an all-out confrontation with the abbot's supporters.

But it should come as no surprise if this effort comes to naught since an order by the former Supreme Patriarch that Phra Dhammajayo be defrocked has been ignored. In the end, the ball will be back in the court of the DSI and the government.

For a long time now but increasingly in recent years, questions have been raised about Thai society's respect for the rule of law. These questions, and indeed, demands for fair implementation of the law will not go away but intensify especially at a time when people can express their views directly via social and digital media.

The case against Phra Dhammajayo is one of a number of high-profile cases and is a direct test of the government, and law enforcers' ability to implement the rule of law even though the issues and background are complicated and sensitive.

After exhausting all avenues for negotiations and if authorities have done their work properly and fairly, they must make a decision and implement the law.

Editorial

Bangkok Post editorial column

These editorials represent Bangkok Post thoughts about current issues and situations.

Email : anchaleek@bangkokpost.co.th

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