Charter drafting panel refuses to recognise Buddhism as national religion
The constitution drafting committee on Friday rejected a proposal to state Buddhism as the national religion in the next charter.
The committee voted 66 to 19 against a proposal to enshrine Buddhism the national religion in the charter, being drafted. The military junta that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra annulled the previous constitution. A number of monks have protested in front of the Parliament, where the committee convened, to demand the committee to declare Buddism as the national religion. They said that the charter should read : "Thailand adopts a democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State and Buddhism as the state religion."
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