Question asked by Werner
Rinpoche, I wrote before but my question seems to have gotten lost in the queue. Basically I had asked why you would support the King of Thailand when, under that nation’s draconian lese majeste law, people are routinely jailed for criticizing him. With one word, he could order the release of prisoners, and the end of lese majeste—and yet he remains silent. Agents of the Thai government have even pressured internet sites such as You-Tube to ban all criticism of the Thai monarchy. I am concerned that Buddhist leaders such as yourself notice only his support for your religion, and not his complicity in the suppression of democracy (monarchism favors Thailand’s upper caste, democracy the lower) or tolerance of sexual slavery (run by the elites who form the basis of his support). Even now, Buddhist monks are being marched into Muslim areas under military escort, as a means of humiliating the local people. Can you really mean to endorse all this?
Dear Werner,
I was having technical problems with this section of my blog, but it is rectified. Yes you did post this question, and I could not answer, but now the problem is solved so I can answer.
I am not involved in politics in any way, anywhere and anytime. I do not know much of the politics of Thailand nor would I get involved.
We all admire different people in the world. Anyone we admire, others can find causes for criticisms or something we don’t like. There is no one I admire that is above criticism in the eyes of the public.
I admire His Holiness Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and Gandhi and people found many faults in all of them. So what to do? Stop admiring?
I like the King of Thailand for my own reasons and I have shared them. You have every right to feel the way you do and it is your opinion and I respect it. But I still hold onto freedom of who we admire and I mean no offences to you.