Pokhara, 20 July – Pol General Kitrat Phanphet, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), announced on Thursday that the newly established Monk Misconduct Complaint Centre has already registered 69 complaints. This initiative, a collaborative effort involving the RTP, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), and the National Office of Buddhism (NOB), aims to address a growing concern about misconduct within the monastic community.
The ad-hoc centre, currently operating under the leadership of the Central Investigation Bureau, is expected to be integrated into the RTP in the future. Commissioner-General Kitrat clarified the division of responsibilities: the NOB will investigate complaints pertaining to religious regulations, while the police will primarily focus on criminal cases. He emphasized that the center’s purpose is not to cast a negative light on the entire Buddhist institution but rather to address individual instances of wrongdoing. Regarding the controversial issue of asset declarations for temples, Kitrat stated that the NACC would ultimately determine whether mandatory disclosures would be enforced.
The police chief underscored the necessity of this new center, citing a noticeable increase in monks and monastic institutions involved in breaches of both religious and criminal laws nationwide. This alarming trend, he explained, necessitated a concerted and collaborative effort from all relevant agencies to uphold the integrity of the Buddhist faith. While 69 complaints have been received, specific details regarding their nature have not yet been disclosed to the public. Kitrat also issued a stern warning against malicious complaints or the dissemination of false information aimed at damaging reputations, asserting that anyone found making such false accusations would face legal repercussions.
Addressing concerns about why previous actions had not been taken against NOB officials despite apparent evidence of negligence, Kitrat maintained that there was insufficient evidence to proceed against the officials themselves. He clarified that neither the police nor the NOB were at fault as institutions, but rather that individual monks, out of the approximately 300,000 in the country, had engaged in inappropriate conduct. He reiterated his appeal to the public not to generalize the actions of a few individuals to the entirety of the revered Buddhist religion. This new center marks a significant step towards ensuring accountability within Thailand’s monastic order and restoring public trust in the institution.
