Loei: "Big Tor," the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commander, is spearheading a major operation against a famous temple in Loei province accused of encroaching on 755 rai of forest land. Suspicious activities at the temple include the presence of hundreds of foreign monks and nuns who are defying a Supreme Court order. The case also involves overlapping land allocations under the Agricultural Land Reform Act.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Lt. Gen. Natthasak Chaowanasai, Commander of the CIB, is leading a multi-agency task force in a decisive move to enforce the court's ruling. This operation involves police from various divisions, including the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division, the Anti-Corruption Division, and others, alongside officials from the Department of Forestry and the Department of Enforcement. Their aim is to enforce the Supreme Court's final ruling by demolishing the temple's structures encroaching on the forest reserve.
Despite the court's order to vacate and demolish the encroaching structures, around 300 foreign monks and nuns, hailing from countries such as China, Korea, and Vietnam, continue to reside at the temple and have refused to comply. The Forestry Department has called upon the CIB to take firm action, with plans to arrest and prosecute those who defy the order.
Mr. Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, former director of the National Parks Office, revealed that a recent land scan showed the temple only legally possesses 45 rai, while the encroached area includes unauthorized constructions like monks' quarters and meditation halls, totaling 755 rai. He emphasized that faith should not override the law, and questioned the legality of the temple's land title deeds.
The temple's activities have raised suspicions in the local community, as over 1,000 foreigners of various nationalities reside there without traditional religious practices like alms rounds. This has led to scrutiny over the temple's financial sources. Temple officials, however, have denied the allegations, accusing forestry officials of fabricating evidence.
Mr. Chaiwat plans to provide detailed information on various aspects of the case to ensure public understanding, including the temple's origins, construction on forest reserve land, land title irregularities, and more. Updates on the ongoing operation to reclaim the forest land and address the defiance of the court order will continue to be reported.
Previously, Loei Province Governor Mr. Chaipoj Charoonpong had implemented strict measures to reclaim the protected forest from the temple. This included verifying the status of foreign residents and revoking illegally obtained land titles. The Governor confirmed the revocation of seven land title documents and is taking the matter to a provincial general meeting for further legal action.