Monks demand Buddhism be declared official religion

THAILAND: Hundreds of saffron-robed monks led nine elephants in a march on Thailand’s parliament demanding that Buddhism be declared the kingdom’s official religion.

The march came one day before the military-appointed drafters of Thailand’s new constitution were set to meet at the parliament building.

The monks planned to spend the night outside the building and to petition the drafters on Thursday, organisers said.

“Our only demand is to have the clause ‘Buddhism is Thailand’s national religion’ included in the new constitution. It’s the opinion of the majority of Thais,” Tongkhao Phuangrodpang, a coordinator of 300 Buddhist advocacy groups, told AFP.

Some 2,500 monks and their supporters had gathered outside the building by early afternoon, awaiting the arrival of the marching elephants.

The military, which seized power in a coup in September, has appointed a panel to write a new charter for Thailand.

The first draft was released last week for a period of consultation, before going to the public in a referendum in September.

The draft made no mention of a national religion, but army-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chalanont said Wednesday that his government would consider the monks’ demands.

“There is room for discussion. The government will listen to people’s opinions, and pass them to the Constitutional Drafting Committee,” said Surayud.

The junta has also said it would not object to naming Buddhism as the state religion. Some 95 percent of Thais are Buddhist.

Bangkok, Thursday, AFP