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Monks' bad behaviour hotline launched by Thai Buddhist authorities | Monks' bad behaviour hotline launched by Thai Buddhist authorities |
(34 minutes later) | |
Buddhist monks face censure after Thai religious authorities said they had launched a 24-hour hotline for the public to report unruly acts. | Buddhist monks face censure after Thai religious authorities said they had launched a 24-hour hotline for the public to report unruly acts. |
The move follows a cascade of high-profile scandals ranging from monks reportedly taking drugs and drinking to a case in May of five defrocked abbots charged with sexually abusing boys. | The move follows a cascade of high-profile scandals ranging from monks reportedly taking drugs and drinking to a case in May of five defrocked abbots charged with sexually abusing boys. |
The National Office of Buddhism (NOB) said the idea for a hotline had emerged after Thailand's coup leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha expressed concern about the image of Buddhism, of which an estimated 95% of Thailand's 67 million population are devotees. | |
"We have already set up a hotline to receive complaints from people if they see anything that endangers our religion," the office's Napparat Benjawattananant said on Wednesday. | "We have already set up a hotline to receive complaints from people if they see anything that endangers our religion," the office's Napparat Benjawattananant said on Wednesday. |
"People can file a complaint if they see monks are involved in irreligious things. For example if they see fake monks collecting donations," he added. | "People can file a complaint if they see monks are involved in irreligious things. For example if they see fake monks collecting donations," he added. |
The office said there were about 270,000 monks across the country. | |
"We don't have enough staff to check every monk, so we need to mobilise the general public," he said, adding that officials would take action immediately after receiving complaints. | |
A slew of scandals involving monks has tarnished the clergy's image in recent months. | A slew of scandals involving monks has tarnished the clergy's image in recent months. |
Last September, authorities seized nearly £470,000 of assets, including a Porsche and a Mercedes-Benz, from a monk who was defrocked for a controversial trip in a private jet and who was also accused of fathering a child by an underage girl a decade earlier. | Last September, authorities seized nearly £470,000 of assets, including a Porsche and a Mercedes-Benz, from a monk who was defrocked for a controversial trip in a private jet and who was also accused of fathering a child by an underage girl a decade earlier. |
"There have been a lot of cases regarding bad behaviour related to monks, so we just want to fix this problem," said the Thai junta spokesman Werachon Sukondhapatipak. |
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