Despite his kind and gentle manner, social worker and Buddhist monk Phra Supoj Suwajo fought fearlessly against greedy investors hungry to turn his monastery in Fang district into tangerine orchards. The young monk paid for the struggle with his life. Two years after his brutal murder, the police have yet to arrest anyone. This is the first of a four-part series. By Wittayakorn Boonruang 

Phra Supoj Suwajo was found dead on June 18, 2005 in the bush near the Suan Metta Dharm forest monastery in Chiang Mai's Fang district. According to police, his brutal death was caused by a sharp object. However, police failed to find any weapon, evidence or material that can identify any suspect for the murder.

Two years later his death is still a mystery. Acquaintances, however, believe that the likely cause of the monk's death is no mystery. They suspect that his forest conservation work on behalf of the Buddhadasa Study Group brought him into conflict with influential investors who want to get the forest monastery's lands, and who had earlier threatened Phra Supoj and other monks at the monastery.

Phra Supoj and his fellow monks had been widely known for their social work with other civil society groups in using religion and non-violence to solve conflict and violence caused by the state and private sector. Their work caused discontent among government officials and investors. This is a class conflict between the capitalist rulers on the one hand and the people on the other.

At a glance, this murder case resembles several others in today's world where the lives of both laymen and priests are at risk. However, a deeper analysis clearly shows that this case represents a bigger problem than just the killing of a monk. Nor is it sufficient to look at the issue as a provincial or regional conflict.

This is a class-based conflict over access to and use of natural resources by the capitalist rulers on the one hand who want to exploit the resources for their own benefits, and conservationists, including Phra Supoj, who refuse, even under the threat of death, to give up their fight for justice.

The death of an activist monk: "area-interest-influence"

After the coup last September, Thai Buddhist circles have been enlivened with an attempt to make Buddhism the national religion in the Constitution drafted by the military junta-appointed charter drafting committee. It is a rare scene to see the Thai Buddhist monks involved in the elite political games of Thai politics.

However, another form of political involvement was spearheaded nine years ago by a group of Buddhist monks, in a deadly game against influential investors that were preying on small villagers.

Phra Supoj and other members of the Buddhadasa Study Group, including Phra Maha Kitti Dharmapalo, Phra Kittisak Kittisophano, Phra Taweesak Jiradharmmo, and Phra Maha Cherdchai Kawiwangso had moved from Tharn Nam Lai temple, better known as Suan Mokkha Palaram in Surat Thani's Chaiya district in 1998, to stay at the Suan Metta Dharm forest monastery in Ban Huay Ngoo Nai, Moo 5, Tambon Sansai in Chiang Mai's Fang district.

The monks' move followed invitation by Phra Ajarn Singthon Narasapho (or Dr Singthon Khamsao) and Mr Sulak Sivaraksa with the approval of the then deputy chief of Chiang Mai Buddhist Council Than Chaokhun Phothirangsi, to study, practice and teach dharma in accordance with the guidance of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and of Suan Mokkha Palaram. Phra Ajarn Singthon also put over 1,500 rai of land¹ under the care of the Metta Dharm monastery. These lands are highly desirable to capitalists who want to invest in the orange orchard business in Fang district.

Dr Singthon first bought the land from villagers without land title deeds in 1980. Later, land ownership documents for most of the land, in the form of Sor Por Kor 4-01 titles² (, were given to villagers and wage labourers who used to work for Dr Singthon before he became a monk. Only about 75 rai now allocated as monastery land has title deeds bearing the name of Dr Singthon as the owner.

From the very beginning, monks and residents of the Suan Metta Dharm monastery were under continuous threats by the local thugs and the influential people who wanted them to move out. For example, fires were set, and guns were fired near the monastery. Trees and medicinal plants grown by the monks were also cut down.

In 1999, in order to reduce the land being held, the monks in the monastery consulted with land owners and dedicated some 800 rai as community forest, with some areas set aside as the living places for local monks. Threats from influential people continued unabated.

Seeking legal protection, the Metta Dharmmaraksa Foundation was established in December 20, 2000 to oversee the monastery. On the first committee of the Foundation were Mr Sulak Sivaraksa, Mr Pipob Thongchai, Mr Anand Wiriyapinit and Mr Surasri Kosolnavin.

In about 2001, Phra Singthon Narasapho authorised Phra Kittisak Kittisophano, as coordinator of the Buddhadasa Study Group and the Metta Dharm monastery, to take care of the monastery, its lands and interests. The objective of the monastery is to disseminate Buddhist teaching. As the monastery and the Metta Dharmmaraksa Foundation conducted many activities, pressure from influential groups also increased in terms of the degree of violence.

In mid 2002, two workers of the monastery were physically attacked. A group including a former military officer, a member of the Tambon Administration Organisation and a local influential person was suspected to be the perpetrators. Meanwhile, the Sor Por Kor 4-01 land documents had been collected from villagers who were told there would be a new allocation of land under similar land reform project.

Phra Kittisak filed a complaint against the local influential person on charges of land encroachment, harassment, threats, and theft. The police ignored the case.

More property was stolen and burglars broke into the monks' living quarters several times. Eventually, encroachers invaded and sold some 70-80 rai of land under the care of the monastery to outside investors, turning them into orange orchards which were booming in most areas of Fang district.

Phra Kittisak and Phra Supoj confronted direct threats. The perpetrator came into their quarters, ordering them to stop their involvement with the land and to move out immediately or face the consequences. He warned that he was heavily armed and was ready to use violence even with monks. More trees had been cut down and 20 rai of forest was burnt.

After three years of conflict with the monastery (from 2002-2005), a group of individuals then invaded the contested land and prepared it for industrial agriculture. Villagers informed Phra Supoj who then told the police to stop the work and ask the encroachers to seek permission from Phra Supoj.

In the meantime, the monastery had developed the land, building walkways and roads, and dredging ponds to prepare for a new office of the Metta Dharmaraksa Foundation which was to be relocated from Bangkok. The new office was planned to go into full operation after the centenary of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu's birth in 2006.

The Foundation in cooperation with the Sekkiyadharm group continued to hold many activities together with community-based groups. More projects were expected to follow. Unfortunately, this brought doom to Phra Supoj. He was murdered on June 17, 2006.

It is clearly beyond denial that Phra Supoj's struggle to protect the land, community and villagers got him into conflict with local influential figures and possibly led to his brutal murder.

1 1 rai = 1600 square metres

2 Sor Por Kor 4-01 titles are granted under land reform programmes. The owner must be a farmer with little or no land, the land must be used for agricultural purposes only, and the land cannot be traded, but only passed on as an heritance.

Related news:

Phra Supoj's mysterious death: a Buddhist monk falls victim to capitalist greed (4)

Phra Supoj's mysterious death: a Buddhist monk falls victim to capitalist greed (3)

Phra Supoj's mysterious death: a Buddhist monk falls victim to capitalist greed (2)

Translated by Mukdawan Sakboon