Chiang Mai Monks head to Bangkok for demonstration
Almost 100 monks, from Wat Umong in Muang district in Chiang Mai, the home province of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have joined the red shirt rally violating a Buddhist regulation that bars them from taking part in political activities.
The monks are defiant, even to the point of saying “so, defrock us then!”, they are determined to remain at the rally and to serve as what they call a ”human shield” between the protesters and the police.
In a recent letter to the Office of National Buddhism (ONB), the pro-red shirt monks attempted to justify their participation in the rally by saying their presence would serve as a warning to the government not to use force against the demonstrators.
But the monks are treading a fine line when they speak on stage at the UDD’s rallying point at the Phan Fa Bridge. Some were also seen riding pillion on red shirt motorcycles during the movement’s mass mobile rally through Bangkok last Saturday.
