1-for-1 Kayak rental for PAssion cardmembers till 26 June
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Water Venture 1-for-1 Kayak Rental for PAssion Cardmembers at 3 Outlets from 16 – 26…
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BANGKOK – Thousands of supporters of a wealthy and controversial Thai Buddhist sect rallied at the temple’s space-age headquarters Thursday to successfully see off an attempt by police to arrest the movement’s elderly abbot on fraud charges.
The long simmering spat between investigators and the powerful Wat Dhammakaya temple in northern Bangkok is the latest clash to reveal bitter political ruptures at the heart of Thailand’s national faith – and law enforcement’s seeming inability to confront monks accused of crimes.
Historically, secular authorities have been reluctant to intervene in the affairs of the clergy.
But a series of recent scandals and corruption probes engulfing various temples – including allegations of monks flying in private jets, having sex and trafficking animal parts – has generated calls for greater oversight.
The country’s equivalent of the FBI has been trying for months to question Phra Dhammachayo, the 72-year-old abbot of the Dhammakaya temple, over allegations he accepted embezzled funds worth 1.2 billion baht ($33 million) from the owner of a cooperative bank who was jailed.
The temple, famous for its main shrine that resembles a huge UFO, has denied its abbot conspired to launder the money, calling the charges “groundless and unconscionable”.
Temple authorities say their leader is too ill to be questioned by police.
After weeks of stalemate, police obtained a court-approved arrest warrant and arrived at the temple on Thursday morning to search for the abbot.
Investigators adopted a non-confrontational approach, holding talks with monks throughout the morning.
But by early afternoon they conceded defeat, saying they had been stopped by devotees from searching some buildings in the 400-hectare (1,000-acre) compound where they thought the abbot might be.
“There were a group of people that no matter how we negotiated they wouldn’t let us in,” Suriya Singhakamol, an official with Thailand’s Department of Special Investigations (DSI), told reporters, adding that the force was keen to avoid any confrontations.
Phra Sanitwong Wuttiwangso, a monk and temple official, confirmed that a group of elderly devotees had stopped investigators.
Throughout the day thousands of supporters dressed largely in white had gathered under heavy monsoon clouds in a show of force opposite the main shrine.
One woman, wearing a white hat, face mask and sunglasses read out a statement to the media saying the abbot should only be questioned once democracy returns to Thailand, a direct rebuke to the military authorities who seized power in a coup two years ago.
“The lack of a democracy in a nation inevitably leads to an absence of civil liberties in the judicial process,” she said.
Many of Thailand’s temples, including Dhammakaya, are tangled up in the country’s treacherous political scene.
Detractors accuse Phra Dhammachayo of promoting a buy your way to nirvana philosophy and being close to ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup.
The administration of his sister Yingluck, who was also prime minister, was also toppled by the military again in 2014 after months of anti-government protests.
Ultra-nationalist monks, some of whom are key critics of Dhammakaya and the Shinawatras, played a major role in those protests.
In the last 30 years the Dhammakaya temple has cultivated a fervent following, raised tens of millions of dollars and set up outposts in dozens of countries across the globe.
The increased politicisation of Thai Buddhism remains a controversial issue especially under military rule.
The Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Thailand had planned to hold a discussion on the topic next week but has been asked by police to cancel the event on “national security grounds”.
SINGAPORE – Following a series of high-profile lift accidents in recent months, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has found that overall standards of lift maintenance by lift contractors “can be further improved” and will be introducing a…
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This comes after a series of lift-related accidents in the past few months.
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JAKARTA – Indonesian rescuers worked on Thursday to save a pod of beached whales that got trapped in a mangrove swamp at low tide, fisheries officials said.
Villagers in the area in the east of Java island were helping fisheries staff trying to lead the 30 or so whales, most of which were believed to be young pilot whales, back to sea.
Several of the whales had died after being hurt in the shallows and many of the others were weak, officials said. “The residents are trying to push the active whales back toward deeper water … but some are still stuck,” Deddy Isfandi, a fisheries official in the coastal town of Probolinggo, told media.
Another fisheries official, Wahid Noor Azis, told Reuters seven of the whales were calves while the biggest of the adults was up to four metres (13 feet) long.
The officials said they did not know why the animals ventured into the mangrove swamp. Residents said whales were rarely seen in the area.
Whale beachings, while unusual, have been seen in other parts of Indonesia.
This year, a four-tonne, 16-metre (52 foot) sperm whale was found dead on a beach on the resort island of Bali.
Mr Syafarin Sarif, chairman of the People’s Power Party (PPP), has shared numerous articles on his Facebook page which seem to imply that a shooting incident that occurred last week in Orlando, USA, was staged.
One of the articles he shared on Tuesday rubbishes the tragedy which took place on Sunday (June 12) in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, when gunman Omar Mateen opened fire and killed 49 people.
It claims the event was staged and that the victims interviewed by media were actors.
Mr Syafarin followed up by sharing numerous other videos and links that claim the Orlando shooting was not real.
He shared a photo posted by Facebook user Akemy Ben Mandy, captioned: “Orlando Hoax Shooting. Speaking of crisis actors, this guy’s injuries sure healed pretty damn quick.”
When sharing the post, Mr Syafarin wrote in Malay: “Those who want to lie, be a bit smarter about it.”
Mr Syafarin was a candidate in the September 2015 General Election, and was part of a PPP team that contested in Chua Chu Kang GRC. The team picked up 23.09 per cent of the vote, losing to the People’s Action Party team.
The Straits Times reported last year that Mr Sarif, 39, was a consultant at a research and consulting firm.
He was elected chairman of the PPP in December 2015.
xiuhuil@sph.com.sg
See also:
Obama to console grieving families in Orlando
Orlando death toll revised down to 49 plus shooter: Authorities
Up until Wednesday (June 15) morning, women’s chances of becoming Mrs Tom Hiddleston in a parallel universe were zilch.
But now, it is positively negative, no thanks to a certain US multi-Grammy winning, heartbreak hit-making…
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Up until Wednesday (June 15) morning, women’s chances of becoming Mrs Tom Hiddleston in a parallel universe were zilch.
But now, it is positively negative, no thanks to a certain US multi-Grammy winning, heartbreak hit-making…
Source link
An Indian businessman is suing Cathay Pacific for HK$1.94 million (S$340,000) to compensate his “mental agony” after the airline allegedly failed to attend to his 12-year-old son who was travelling alone.
Accusing the airline of extreme “deficiency of service and gross negligence”, Mr Ram Prasad Poosaala said his son, Raja Ram was picked up by a stranger after he flew alone from Hong Kong to Hyderabad on October 31 last year, the South China Morning Post reported.
His uncle was supposed to receive him at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, but could not find him at the arrival hall. He claimed that he then received a phone call from an unknown person, who said he had the boy and quickly hung up.
Two hours after the plane landed, Raja Ram showed up, reportedly accompanied by a man who hurried away as he saw the uncle.
The boy told his uncle the man had asked him to follow him when they had landed. He also said Cathay Pacific staff did not provide the “Meet and Assist” service as requested by his father.
Mr Poosaala, a Hong Kong resident and owner of a dried seafood trading company, said he had asked for travel assistance because his son was not familiar with India and only understood Chinese and English.
The boy wore a badge indicating he needed assistance upon arrival. His uncle claimed the airline did not call him to inform him that the boy had arrived.
He wrote to Cathay Pacific to complain and was offered US$75 in compensation.
After he told the airline that its negligence was “unpardonable” as it exposed the boy to potential kidnap or harm, Cathay Pacific increased the compensation to US$200.
South China Morning Post reported that the airline wanted to the settle the matter out of court, but the father insisted on taking legal action.
Wanting the airline to ensure such a situation would not arise again, he is demanding S$340,000 to make amends for his mental anguish in addition to legal costs.
Cathay Pacific stated on its website that children aged 6 to under 12 years, flying alone, must be registered as ‘Unaccompanied Minors’ unless they are travelling together with a person of 18 years of age or above.
It also said arrangements and services for ‘Unaccompanied Minors’ must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. Booking fees and surcharges also apply.
Children passengers who require unaccompanied minor service may need to buy adult tickets and not all flights can accept ‘Unaccompanied Minors’, said the airline, which is not commenting on the case as it is now under the judicial process.
Whether his flight booking satisfies these conditions or not, the good thing is that the boy got to visit his grandmother in Telangana state after the ordeal.
chenj@sph.com.sg
