Thai police have arrested a lady who allegedly had sexual relations with monks, after which used pictures and movies of the acts to extort cash from them.
The girl, who police are calling “Ms Golf”, extorted no less than 9 monks, police stated at a press convention on Tuesday. They imagine she obtained round 385 million baht ($11.9m; £8.8m) over the previous three years.
Investigators who searched her home discovered greater than 80,000 pictures and movies used to blackmail the monks, the police spokesman stated.
This scandal is the newest to rock Thailand’s a lot revered Buddhist establishment, which in recent times has been plagued with allegations of monks partaking in intercourse offences and drug trafficking.
Police stated the case first got here to their consideration in mid-June, after they realized that an abbot in Bangkok had immediately left the monkhood after being extorted by a lady.
Ms Golf “had a relationship” with the monk in Could 2024, police stated. She later claimed to have his child and demanded youngster assist of greater than seven million baht, they added.
Authorities then found that different monks had equally transferred cash to Ms Golf – which police known as her “modus operandi”.
Police added they discovered that just about all the cash has been withdrawn and a few of it had been used for on-line playing.
When investigators searched Ms Golf’s home earlier this month, they seized her telephones and located greater than 80,000 pictures and movies that she had used to blackmail the monks, police stated.
She is going through a number of expenses together with extortion, cash laundering and receiving stolen items.
The police have additionally opened a hotline for individuals to report “misbehaving monks”.
The scandal has prompted the Sangha Supreme Council – the governing physique for Thai Buddhism – to say it should kind a particular committee to evaluate monastic rules.
The federal government can also be pushing for harsher penalties – together with fines and jail time – for monks who breach the monastic code.
This week, Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn revoked a royal command he had issued in June conferring larger titles to 81 monks. He cited the current instances of misconduct, which he stated have “triggered Buddhists to undergo significantly of their minds”.
In Thailand, the place greater than 90% of the inhabitants establish as Buddhist, monks are extremely revered. Many Thai males additionally select to quickly ordain as monks to build up good karma.
However the Buddhist establishment has been suffering from scandals within the current previous.
Wirapol Sukphol, a jet-setting monk recognized for his lavish life-style, made worldwide headlines in 2017 when he was charged with intercourse offences, fraud and cash laundering. And in 2022, a temple within the northern province of Phetchabun was left with none monks in spite of everything 4 of its monks had been arrested in a drug raid and had been disrobed.
Regardless of years of criticism about disciplinary and accountability points inside the Thai Sangha, many say there was little actual change within the centuries-old establishment. A giant a part of the issue lies with its strict hierarchy, say consultants.
“It’s an authoritarian system just like the Thai forms the place senior monks are like high-ranking officers and junior monks are their subordinates,” non secular scholar Suraphot Thaweesak instructed BBC Thai. “Once they see one thing inappropriate, they don’t dare to talk up as a result of it is rather straightforward to be kicked out of the temple.”
However some see ongoing investigations, each by the police and the Sangha council, as a key step to push forward with much-needed reform.
“The vital factor is to disclose the reality in order that the general public can ease their doubts concerning the innocence of the Sangha,” stated Prakirati Satasut, a sociology scholar at Bangkok’s Thammasat College.
“It is determined by whether or not the Supreme Sangha Council will lower off some legs and arms to save lots of the group.”