Girl arrested as Thailand rocked by Buddhist monk intercourse and blackmail scandal

[ad_1] Police in Thailand arrested a lady on Tuesday who allegedly enticed a string of Buddhist monks into sexual relationships after which pressured them into making massive funds to cowl up their intimacy.

The doable violation of the celibacy rule for monks has rocked Buddhist establishments and gripped public consideration in Thailand in current weeks. At the very least 9 abbots and senior monks concerned within the scandal have been disrobed and forged out of the monkhood, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau mentioned.

Wilawan Emsawat, who's in her mid-30s, was arrested at her dwelling in Nonthaburi province north of the capital, Bangkok, on prices together with extortion, cash laundering and receiving stolen items. Police mentioned they traced cash transferred to her by a senior monk from a checking account belonging to his temple in northern Thailand.

Wilawan has not made an announcement since her arrest and it was unclear if she has authorized illustration. Chatting with native media earlier than her arrest, she acknowledged one relationship and mentioned she had given cash to that monk.

Scandals involving monks floor a couple of instances a 12 months in Thailand however normally do not contain senior members of the clergy. The case additionally places a highlight on the big sums of cash donated to temples managed by abbots, which is in marked distinction to the abstemious lives they're supposed to steer underneath their faith's precepts.

<img loading="lazy" alt="Eight men in suits and uniforms sit at a wide panel in front of a tv screen" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7586174.1752671611!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/thailand-monk-scandal.jpg?im=Resize%3D300 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7586174.1752671611!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/thailand-monk-scandal.jpg?im=Resize%3D460 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7586174.1752671611!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/thailand-monk-scandal.jpg?im=Resize%3D620 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7586174.1752671611!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/thailand-monk-scandal.jpg?im=Resize%3D780 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7586174.1752671611!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/thailand-monk-scandal.jpg?im=Resize%3D1180 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7586174.1752671611!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/thailand-monk-scandal.jpg?im=" style="aspect-ratio:1.9281045751633987" data-cy="image-img"/> On this screengrab of the livestream of Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau's press convention in Bangkok on Tuesday, officers speak in regards to the arrest of a lady concerned in a intercourse scandal that brought about a number of senior monks to depart the monkhood. (Central Investigation Bureau/The Related Press) Intentionally focused senior monks Wilawan intentionally focused senior monks for monetary achieve, police mentioned, noting they discovered a number of monks had transferred massive quantities of cash after Wilawan initiated romantic relationships with them.

Wilawan's financial institution accounts acquired round 385 million baht ($16.2 million Cdn) previously three years, however a lot of the funds have been spent on on-line playing web sites, police mentioned.

Jaroonkiat Pankaew, a Central Investigation Bureau deputy commissioner, mentioned the investigation started final month after an abbot of a well-known temple in Bangkok abruptly left the monkhood.

Investigators discovered the abbot had allegedly been blackmailed by Wilawan over their romantic relationship. She informed the monk she was pregnant and requested him to pay 7.2 million baht (round $303,500 Cdn) in monetary help, Jaroonkiat mentioned at a information convention in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Police believed "this lady is harmful and we wanted to arrest her as quickly as doable," Jaroonkiat mentioned.

Thai media reported a search of her cellphones revealed tens of hundreds of photographs and movies, in addition to quite a few chat logs indicating intimacy with a number of monks, lots of which could possibly be used for blackmail.

Thai monks not supposed to the touch girls Thai monks are largely members of the Theravada sect, which requires them to be celibate and chorus from even touching a lady.

Appearing Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered authorities to assessment and think about tightening current legal guidelines associated to monks and temples, particularly the transparency of temple funds, to revive religion in Buddhism, authorities spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub mentioned Tuesday.

The Central Investigation Bureau has arrange a Fb web page for individuals to report monks who misbehave, Jaroonkiat mentioned.

"We'll examine monks throughout the nation," he mentioned. "I consider that the ripple results of this investigation will result in loads of adjustments."

WATCH | Dalai Lama shares his succcession plans: Why there may quickly be two Dalai Lamas | About That

An influence wrestle over the Dalai Lama's succession may imply a future with two: one backed by China; the opposite by Tibetan monks. Andrew Chang explains. [ad_2] Source link