Dhammakaya cries foul over internet blackout
Dhammakaya Temple communications chief Phra Sanitwong Chareonrattawong on Friday hit back over an Internet signal blackout imposed by the authorities on the Pathum Thani temple complex and surrounding area.
The blackout came amid an ongoing siege in the bid to arrest fugitive former abbot Phra Dhammachayo.
The communications chief told a press conference the move was an overreaction affecting not only the temple monks and disciples but also residents of the local community.
He said all people should be allowed equal rights and liberty, so cutting the Internet signal was an act that showed the officers were afraid of the temple telling the truth about the situation to others.
“The government should be open-minded to let people hear information from both sides and make a decision for themselves as to which side is more credible, he said while calling for the signal to be reconnected and urging non-violence.
"I will light candles in daylight, [as a gesture] to prevent the society's blindness from information blocking," he added.
To the claim that the temple used social media to create public misunderstanding against the officers, the monk said the temple didn't consider itself to be at war with anyone. He also urged some media agencies not to create a false image that the temple was a threat to national security or to Buddhism.
