Operation to capture Phra Dhammachayao fails
The operation by the Department of Special Investigation to arrest Phra Dhammachayo has failed because of strong resistance by lay followers of the abbot of the Dhammakaya temple, the DSI and three other government agencies told a press conference.
The four-partite press conference was held at 1:25 pm, after which DSI officials aborted the operation and left the temple. The district chief of Pathum Thani's Klong Luang district, and representatives of the National Office of Buddhism joined the press conference, which was also participated by monks of the temple.
DSI deputy chief Suriya Singhakamol admitted during the press conference that the operation to enter the temple to bring the abbot to hear embezzlement charges at the Criminal Court, which continued until 10:30 am, failed because the abbot's staunch followers would not allow the officials to go inside.
Suriya said the mission would continue but he did not give timeframe.
Phra Sanitwong, who represented the temple, said Phra Dhammachayo did not flee from the temple but he was too ill to come out to meet officials. He said the temple had already cooperated with the DSI.
Phra Sanitwong said the followers, many of them elderly people, love the abbot and worry about is health as he is not well.
The Klong Luang district chief the operation was peaceful as no violence erupted.
The DSI did not say what it would do next as the search warrant would expire at 8 pm Thursday.
