헌법과 승가법의 개정을 통한 세속 권력의 종교 개입

This article aims to figure out of religious intervention of the secular powers in Thailand, which are the king and the government. The 1997, 2007 and 2017 constitution, and the 1992, 2017, and 2018 revised clauses in Sangha act were compared in order to interpret secular intervention. This comparison indicates that the latest Constitution and Sangha act provide considerable space for the secular powers to interfere in religious affairs. Although Buddhism is not the state religion, it has gained a superior position to other religions, and it has been able to receive government support and protection; however religious freedoms Thais enjoyed may be more restricted than before, and Thais are situated in more vulnerable circumstances to the governmental constraint. The King Rama Ⅹ is now possible to possess the Sangha, because he can ordain, promote or dismiss regional bishops as well as the supreme patriarch as he command, without involvement of others. At the same time the supreme patriarch has to relinquish his authorities that were permitted by former Sangha act, and has to handover it to the king. Furthermore, even the prime minister has to sign to endorse royal command appointing the supreme patriarch and the member of the Sangha supreme council, but the supreme patriarch has no authority in appointing key positions in the Sangha. The title of the supreme patriarch may remain as a mere symbolic figure as long as he doesn’t have any authority by the amended Sangha act clauses. Those amendments lead the Sangha to the unavoidable secular intervention.