Control and fear inside the clergy

Silence in the Sangha — the official institution of Buddhist monks —is often mistaken for virtue.

- 

In reality, it is driven by manipulation and a culture of fear.A recent study, “Restrictions on the Rights and Freedoms of Monks in the Legal System of Thailand” by Phramaha Anuwong Mermana, a Buddhist monk and scholar, lays this bare. It shows a system where laws and clerical rules limit not only what monks can do, but also what they can learn, think and say.

Start with the law. Monks are barred from voting at the national level or within their own institutions, as the Sangha Council does not use voting to select senior positions.

Monks may be expected to remain detached from political power, but they cannot join referendums or propose laws. Once excluded from formal politics, it becomes easier to restrict other rights, including freedom of speech, assembly and participation.

The problem is that politics does not stay out of the temple. Politicians seek endorsements, tying the Sangha to state power. Monks are told to remain neutral, but such neutrality is selective.

Education is another constraint. Clerical rules discourage or block monks from studying “worldly” subjects and ban them from sitting competitive exams alongside laypeople.