Clergy in need of control, not reform

After a long silence during Thailand’s biggest sex scandal in the clergy, the Ecclesiastical Council and the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) have finally spoken out. Their big idea? A new law to imprison the offending monks and women involved in the scandal.

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This move misses the mark. It treats monk misconduct as isolated and perpetrated by a few bad apples, with the rot at the heart of the structure left largely intact.

More worrying still is how the clergy is using this scandal not to clean up the system but to tighten its grip on power.

The proposal to punish rogue monks and their sexual partners is part of a bill initiated by the NOB and the clergy, saying it’s a timely tool to protect Buddhism. A close look at the draft law reveals otherwise.

For starters, the move will offer legal aid for monks facing criminal charges. This signals a move to shield wrongdoers instead of ensuring justice and accountability.

If passed, the clergy would also gain sweeping powers to punish anyone accused of harming Buddhism’s image. This power could easily be abused to go after whistleblowers and critics calling for Sangha reform.

This is censorship to protect the clergy, pure and simple.

Under the proposal, critics would face the same jail term as monks and their partners in sex scandals — up to seven years and/or fines up to 140,000 baht. Monks who seek to profiteer from blessing amulets or predicting the lottery are also liable to similar legal penalties.