Antidisestablishmentarianism

[Guest wowpow]

An opportunity to use the 5th longest word in English comes rarely and even rarer in a Thai situation. Courtesy Shott's Original Miscellany which I keep by the toilet, to dip into, occasionally.

 

"CDA says no to state religion

Monks respond angrily and pledge to fight on

BANGKOK POST REPORTERS

 

The Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) yesterday rejected a proposal to enshrine Buddhism as the state religion in the draft charter, drawing an angry response from demonstrating monks and laymen outside parliament. After putting off deliberating the contentious issue, CDA members finally got to the clause and voted 66:19 against declaring Buddhism as the official religion after a four-hour debate.

 

The CDA also voted 76:11 in favour of a clause saying Buddhism is a religion which has been respected by most Thais for a long time.

 

 

Sqn-Ldr Prasong Soonsiri, head of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) who opposed the motion to declare Buddhism the state religion, said the CDA's decision was based on two reasons _ national administration under a democratic system, and the Lord Buddha's teachings. According to Sqn-Ldr Prasong, the state should not exploit religion and religious beliefs to regulate administration of the country. ''Democracy does not force people to have or follow the same culture. People are free to choose their [religious] beliefs equally.

 

''The state has the task of running the country and it should not use religious beliefs, but laws, as the tool to do so. In Thailand, we do not adopt Buddhism as a law, so making it a state religion is not in line with democracy,'' he said before the debate kicked off. Sqn-Ldr Prasong said making Buddhism the state religion did not give assurances Buddhism would prosper. ''Lord Buddha did not leave Buddhism in the care of this kingdom or any particular power, but his disciples. He asked them to observe and study his teachings. ''According to the Lord Buddha, whether Buddhism thrives or deteriorates depends on how the disciples behave,'' he said.

 

The CDC chairman also took to task protesting monks and laymen who had gone on hunger strike outside parliament to pressure the CDA to accept Buddhism as the national religion.

 

CDA member Thongtong Chandrangsu argued against making Buddhism the national religion, saying Buddhism was the de facto state religion already. There was no need to spell it out in the constitution. He said the fact that the abrogated 1997 charter which stipulated the King is a Buddhist is an acknowledgement that Buddhism is the state religion."

 

Bangkok Post