Declare Buddhism as Thai national religion
Demand monks
Afp, Bangkok
Thousands of Buddhist monks blocked a street in central Bangkok yesterday, demanding that Buddhism be declared Thailand's national religion in a new constitution, police said. About 3,000 saffron-robed monks and 1,200 of their followers rallied outside the Thai parliament, with 250 police officers on guard at the protest, which lasted for most of the day. The protesting monks tried to march into the parliament building but police managed to convinced them to stay outside, said police Major General Manit Wongsomboon. "Their demand is to insert a phrase in the new constitution declaring that Buddhism is the national religion," Manit told AFP. About 500 monks pledged to hold a vigil through the night, police added. The protest was held as military-appointed charter drafters started to debate clauses in the new constitution, which currently makes no mention of a national religion. The military plans to bring the constitution before the public in a referendum expected in early September. Some 95 percent of Thais are Buddhist, but critics of the proposal warn that naming a national religion could inflame tensions in the Muslim-majority south of Thailand, where a separatist insurgency has raged for three years.
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