Remembering the Supreme Patriarch on social media
Chulalongkorn Hospital issued its first statement in the middle of this month on the surgery His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Somdet Phra Sangharaja had undergone and the state of his health.
After that, comments on social media occasionally said that His Holiness had passed away, but these rumours were regularly quelled by the Supreme Patriarch Secretariat, which called on people only to believe official announcements.
That’s when people began visiting the Facebook pages of the Office of the Supreme Patriarch Secretariat for information.
Just after 7.30pm on Thursday, social-media users once again began asking if the rumours were true.
Despite their habitual explicitness, Facebook and Twitter users were reluctant to discuss the subject and instead turned to their friends on LINE.
A little earlier, the secretariat posted on Facebook asking Buddhists to “pray for His Holiness in his important time”, before asking them to wait “mindfully” for an official announcement.
The first reaction on Thai social media – other than spreading the sad news – was expressing sorrow and bidding His Holiness a final farewell. People were also looking out for the schedule of the official mourning ceremony.
Several Facebook users changed their profile pictures and cover photos to black and white, the lotus or even all black to mark the loss, and many shared photographs of His Holiness and their thoughts about him. Things got slightly dramatic on Twitter when people began arguing about exactly what words were proper when discussing the issue.
People’s timelines yesterday also carried photographs and news of events and ceremonies, while many people posted information about His Holiness’ life and teachings.
Though people will continue posting messages in memory of His Holiness, how long his teachings are remembered or followed is something that remains to be seen.
RELATED