Police in Thailand arrested a woman Tuesday who allegedly enticed a string of Buddhist monks into sexual relationships and then pressured them into making large payments to cover up their intimacy. The possible violation of the celibacy rule for monks has rocked Buddhist institutions and gripped public attention in Thailand. At least nine abbots and senior monks involved have been cast out of the monkhood, the Royal Thai Police's Central Investigation Bureau said. Wilawan Emsawat, in her mid-30s, was arrested on charges including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods, reports the AP. Police said they traced money transferred to her by a senior monk from a bank account belonging to his temple in northern Thailand.
Speaking to local media before her arrest, Wilawan acknowledged one relationship and said she'd given money to that monk. The case spotlights the large sums of money donated to temples controlled by abbots, which is in marked contrast to the abstemious lives they're supposed to lead. Wilawan deliberately targeted senior monks for financial gain, police said, noting they found several monks had transferred large amounts of money after Wilawan initiated romantic relationships. Wilawan's bank accounts received around $11.9 million over the past three years, with most of the funds spent on online gambling, police said.
Jaroonkiat Pankaew, a Central Investigation Bureau deputy commissioner, said the investigation began last month after an abbot of a famous temple in Bangkok abruptly left the monkhood. Investigators say Wilawan told the abbot she was pregnant and asked him to pay $222,000 in financial assistance, Jaroonkiat said Tuesday. Thai media reported a search of her mobile phones revealed tens of thousands of photos and videos, as well as numerous chat logs indicating intimacy with several monks.
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Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered authorities to review and consider tightening existing laws related to monks and temples, especially the transparency of temple finances, to restore faith in Buddhism, a government spokesperson said Tuesday. The CIB has set up a Facebook page for people to report monks who misbehave, Jaroonkiat said. "We will investigate monks across the country," he said. "I believe that the ripple effects of this investigation will lead to a lot of changes."
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