Showing 31 - 40 of 143
Mixing monks with money corrupts clergy
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 20/06/2018
» Fear and fury is gripping the clergy. Following the arrest and defrocking of high-profile monks for temple corruption, temples nationwide are fearful of financial inspections while monks are up in arms against the idea of prohibiting them from receiving money from the laity.
Buddha's path must guide reform of clergy
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 07/06/2018
» The recent crackdown on the Sangha Supreme Council elders is long overdue. Corrupt monks in high places have escaped the law for far too long. But abuse of power will not go away as long as the clergy remains a closed, feudal autocracy under state patronage.
Supporting paraquat betrays the nation
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 02/06/2018
» The regime’s slogan to return happiness to the people has proven empty once again. Despite public demands for a ban, the military government has decided to allow paraquat, a highly toxic weed killer, to wreak havoc on public health and the environment.
Battle over land rights law far from over
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 19/05/2018
» After calling the landless protesters freeloaders, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha suddenly made a U-turn by sending a close aide to promise the moon and the stars to the forest poor who were demonstrating in Bangkok. Why?
Poll without people power holds no promise
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 10/05/2018
» After four years of heavy-handed repression, why has the military government suddenly softened its stance with grassroots and civil society movements? The answer is in the front-page photo of every newspaper on Tuesday.
It's time to end land rights double standards
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 03/05/2018
» While the judiciary's scandalous housing estate in the sacred forest of Doi Suthep is receiving tacit government support, the military is rounding up community leaders in the North to prevent them from joining street protests in Bangkok to stop violent forest evictions.
Defrocking bad monks just part of reform
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 27/04/2018
» When a group of senior monks in Thailand's highest governing body of clerics faced corruption scrutiny earlier this month, there was no public shock, only a stamp of approval. That says volumes about public discontent with the clergy.
Seeing through the smokescreen of spin
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 18/04/2018
» Just as the protests against the judiciary's housing estate on sacred Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai reach their height, the protesters have been thrown off guard by seemingly coordinated spin to detract and discredit their moves.
'Hands off' is the new Songkran message
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 06/04/2018
» For those guys who see Songkran as an open ticket to take advantage of women during the fun-filled, anything-goes water festival, supermodel Sirinya "Cindy" Bishop has a stern message for them: "Hands off!"
Get rid of fake vaccines, graft, not strays
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 22/03/2018
» The massacre of temple dogs in southern Thailand in the wake of the rabies fear frenzy is not only cruel and sad, it also reflects state authorities' mindset that violence is the way to eliminate perceived enemies.