Monks were protesting against what they see as “interference” in their religious affairs by the military junta running the country. The protests occurred because the junta is unwilling to give its blessings to the new nominated leader, 90-year-old Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, also known as Somdet Chuang. This follows a leadership crisis within the religious establishment that dates back to 2013, when the country’s last Supreme Patriarch, Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, passed away.
Under the current system, the Sangha Supreme Council, Thailand’s governing body for Buddhism, nominates a new leader, which the Prime Minister then passes on to the King, effectively giving their “approval.”
While the junta argues that they cannot pass on the nomination because Somdet Chuang is under investigation for tax evasion and corruption, many were quick to point to the links between Chuang and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a coup in 2006. While the Junta goes about erasing Thaksin’s legacy and banning anyone associated with his Pheu Thai Party from politics, it would be an immeasurable blow to their “reformist” efforts to have a head of Thai Buddhism with strong connections to Thaksin.
Thailand’s society is firmly rooted in the tripartite concept of Nation-Religion-King, with religion essentially acting as the intermediary between the government and the people. It is therefore unsurprising that the junta is unwilling to approve the nomination, essentially throwing the Thai Buddhist institution on a collision course with the military.
The junta has sought to preserve order and stability at almost any cost. Critics of the Junta have been forced to attend “attitude adjustment programs” or failing that, have simply been arrested on trumped up charges of subversion or under Thailand’s strict lèse majesté laws, which forbid criticism of the King. With the coup being royally “endorsed,” the military draws a precariously fine line between insulting the Junta and insulting the King.
The religious establishment, on the other hand, will be extremely difficult for the junta to silence. With 90 percent of the population identifying themselves as followers of Buddhism, Thailand’s religious establishment now poses a significant threat to the generals.
The junta does have the support of some within the Buddhist institution against the Sangha Supreme Council. Phra Buddha Issara, a monk, is heading the charge. Having firmly supported the anti-Shinawatra protests and the subsequent 2014 coup, he has developed a close relationship with the Junta and has used this position to call for extensive reforms within the Buddhist establishment.
Nonetheless, for many Thais this is the crux of the problem — the increasing involvement of monks in politics. Take for example calls by some to impose Buddhism as a state religion or the numerous scandals which have seen monks accused of materialism at best and corruption at worse.
But while religion becomes embroiled in the politics of Thailand, this episode is just another example of the junta’s inability to build consensus and control competing factions throughout the country. In its efforts to control all, the junta has taken increasingly repressive steps to clamp down on dissent — evidence suggests that the generals’ latest victim was Sarawut Bamrungkittikhun, who runs an anti-junta Facebook page called Perd Praden (Opening Issues). While Sarawut was recently released, he was forced to sign a statement promising not to make any political comments or to be involved in political activities. Worryingly, as part of these efforts, the junta has started to turn their attention on academics critical of the regime’s attacks on democracy and of the endless delay in hosting elections.
Thailand’s religious woes are not set to disappear anytime soon. The junta has said that it will refuse to forward the appointment of Chuang. As such, there is little doubt that the current situation will remain unchanged until Chuang and the Junta come to some form of agreement, or Chuang desists himself from the appointment — both unlikely outcomes at this point.
Nor are Thailand’s wider woes slated to improve. Instead of seeking compromise between different stakeholders in Thailand, the junta continues to amass power and silence anyone who gets in their way — a recent example being the draft constitution, decried by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as a “charade”, liking it to an 18th century document. The head of the drafting committee was threatened after refusing to incorporate a clause put forward by the junta that would enable the generals to fully appoint the Senate. Responding to the pressure, Meechai Ruchupan told the media Tuesday that the “real power lies with the people”.
As the recent clashes with the monks and other actors shows, the junta’s vaunted mandate to preserve harmony is getting quashed. While the generals desperately seek to create ‘stability’ at any expense in Thailand, their actions can only result in a cycle that ensures less stability will prevail.
