A wave of protests across four continents has greeted the ongoing prosecution of Venerable Dhammajayo by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). Supporters in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Germany and the USA have demonstrated and continue to protest at the unfair treatment of the 72 year old Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya.
In addition to widespread displays of public support, submissions have also been made to the governments of Sri Lanka and India, and the Thai Consulates in Sweden and the United States, calling for the false accusations to be dropped. The DSI prosecution is based on unproven charges that Phrathepyanmahamuni knowingly received donations more than four years ago, which later proved to constitute 5% of funds embezzled by the Chairman of Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC).
Protesters state that money laundering charges are groundless, since the donation was transparent and there is absolutely no evidence of an attempt to conceal the source of the funds involved. At the time when the donation was made to assist in the running and development of Thailand’s largest Buddhist temple, the Chairman of KCUC, Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, was a respected businessman, who regularly donated to other temples, schools, universities, public charities and government sectors. Why then, is the Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya the sole target of the DSI?
The DSI has chosen to ignore the fact that the supporters of Wat Phra Dhammakaya raised Baht 684,784,000 to assist the victims of the Credit Union, and that the KCUC has withdrawn all complaints against the temple. They have also chosen to ignore the letter written by Supachai Srisupa-aksorn confirming that Prathepyanmahamuni had no knowledge that the donated funds were illegal, and that the amount donated to the temple had been returned to the Credit Union.
Given these facts, why is the Department of Special Investigation determined to continue its prosecution of the Abbot, who is now suffering from life-threatening illnesses, which the DSI has repeatedly refused to verify in a humane manner.
