Woman arrested for allegedly seducing, blackmailing Buddhist monks

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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 in recent weeks. At least nine abbots and senior monks involved in the scandal have been disrobed and cast out of the monkhood, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said.

Wilawan Emsawat, in her mid-30s, was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi province north of the capital Bangkok on charges including extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods. Police said they traced money transferred to her by a senior monk from a bank account belonging to his temple in northern Thailand.

Wilawan has not made a statement since her arrest and it was unclear if she has legal representation. Speaking to local media before her arrest, she acknowledged one relationship and said she had given money to that monk.

Scandals involving monks surface a few times a year in Thailand but usually don't involve senior members of the clergy. The case also puts a spotlight on the large sums of money donated to temples controlled by abbots, which is in marked contrast to the abstemious lives they are supposed to lead under their religion's precepts.

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 with them.

Wilawan's bank accounts received around 385 million baht ($11.9 million) in the past three years, but most of the funds were spent on online gambling websites, police said. The biggest bets were 500,000 baht each, the Bangkok Post reported, citing police.

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 found the abbot had allegedly been blackmailed by Wilawan over their romantic relationship. She told the monk that she was pregnant and asked him to pay $222,000 in financial assistance, Jaroonkiat said at a news conference in Bangkok Tuesday.

Police believed "this woman is dangerous and we needed to arrest her as soon as possible," Jaroonkiat said.

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, many of which could be used for blackmail.

Thai monks are largely members of the Theravada sect, which requires them to be celibate and refrain from even touching a woman.

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, government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said Tuesday.

The Central Investigation Bureau 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."

Buddhist monks in Thailand have been embroiled in scandals before.

In May, Thai police arrested a monk over allegations he embezzled more than $9 million from the prominent temple he ran which was funded by donations from devotees.

Last November, Thai police launched an investigation of a Buddhist monastery after authorities discovered 41 bodies on site which were allegedly used for meditation practices.

In 2022, every single monk at a Buddhist temple in central Thailand was defrocked after they tested positive for methamphetamine. The monks were sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.

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