Monk reaches out to Thaksin and Sondhi

The Nation

November 22 , 2005 - About 500 monks yesterday met with government critic Sondhi Limthongkul in Bangkok to offer moral support in his clash with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The monks also extended an invitation for the Manager Group owner to attend a peace meeting hosted by respected senior monk Luangta Maha Bua at his temple in Udon Thani on Thursday. The meeting is slated to mediate the Sondhi-Thaksin bickering.

After receiving his invitation, Sondhi said he would continue to do everything in his power to ensure the public has access to truthful news.

"I repeat I have no intention to overthrow the government," he said.
Government MP Kuthep Saikrajang criticised the monks for meddling in politics.

Kuthep, also chairman of the House committee on religious affairs, said monks were obliged to remain neutral on secular affairs. Also yesterday, 13 monks from the group delivered the same invitation to Thaksin through a Government House official.

They delivered the invitation along with a video of the sermon by Luangta Maha Bua that sparked the row between the pair. A transcript of the sermon, which was critical of the premier, was published in Manager Daily.

The revered monk wrote that if matters of state were so urgent that a visit by the prime minister was impossible, then he would travel to Bangkok to meet with the two men.

Thaksin said yesterday that he would meet Luangta Maha Bua when he found time in his busy schedule. But he remained non-committal about a meeting with Sondhi brokered by the monk.

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