Sangha Act to be revised after senior monks' sex scandals
After a special meeting on Sunday, Assoc Prof Chatchapol Chaiyaporn, acting secretary-general of the SSC, said that the Supreme Patriarch was highly concerned about the impact of the incident on the credibility of the monastic order.
The council acknowledged that the Sangha Act, which was passed in 1962, is no longer suitable for addressing present-day challenges and called for immediate reforms.
The Sangha Act has been amended three times — in 1992, 2017, and 2018 — but none of the amendments touched the core issue of the management of monks. The 2018 amendment, for instance, shifted the power to appoint the Supreme Patriarch and Sangha Council members from the council to royal authorities.
"A new special committee will be formed to safeguard Buddhism, review the Sangha Act and other related laws, and enhance public communication. The proposal will be submitted to the Supreme Patriarch for approval," he said.
The meeting also agreed that senior monks must monitor others under their authority. Should a breach of the monastic code be found, the relevant superior must suspend the monk immediately and submit evidence to the monastic authorities for further action.
Monastic misconduct, he noted, may also constitute a criminal offence, as monks are regarded as public officials under Thai law.
The council also called on the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) to strengthen its procedures and requested government support in restructuring the agency to better protect the religion.
"All actions must align with Dhamma-Vinaya principles, uphold justice, and protect the innocent," he said.
Intaporn Jan-iaem, director of the NOB said the council is reviewing the 11 names submitted by Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau.
Six monks, including former abbots and senior monks from various temples in Bangkok, Phitsanulok, Saraburi, and Chachoengsao, have been disrobed to date.
Out of the remaining five, two monks from Phitsanulok and Bangkok could not be contacted. SSC have ordered the northern and central regional monk chiefs to summon them with clear deadlines. Non-compliance may result in removal from office, he said.
Two senior monks from Bangkok and Phichit are still in monkhood pending a disciplinary review, while the abbott of Wat Chujit Thammaram in Ayutthaya resigned from his position on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat has ordered the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) to visit Wat Chujit Thammaram, Wat Yai Chom Prasat in Samut Sakhon and Wat Kalayanamit and Wat Prayurawongsawat in Bangkok this week.
The investigation will focus on the temples' financial transactions in an effort to determine if temple funds were diverted to pay off Ms Golf.
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