Lam Chang Community Gather at Three Kings in Protest Against Temple Land Hotel Dispute

 | Fri 3 Aug 2018 08:51 ICT

CityNews – The Lam Chang Community have rallied against the private entrepreneur who is allegedly planning to build a hotel on the abandoned temple area.

Local people of Lam Chang Community, together with a representative of Rak Chiang Mai Network, rallied at the Three Kings Monument today regarding the dispute over a land of an abandoned temple, next to Wat Lam Chang. The land was lent out by the Chiang Mai Provincial Office of Buddhism to a private entrepreneur, and the concern is that the land will be used for a hotel business.

Panngam Sommana, a representative of Rak Chiang Mai Network made a public statement addressing to the authorities including the Office of Pubilc Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, the State Audit Office, Chiang Mai Municipality, and the Chiang Mai Provincial Office of Buddhism to review the issue.

The statement raised questions about the authority over how the land was managed by Wat Lam Chang in the lead up to the contract, and asks why the temple has now lost all authority over the land to the Buddhism Office with no clear reason.

The Buddhism Office has been asked to disclose the lease agreement. The rally claimed that the lease agreement is per year and is not a 30 years contract as the office has claimed. The statement also revealed that the office has claimed that the contract has been lost in a flood.

The statement also asked the Office of Pubilc Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, The National Anti-Corruption Commission, and the State Audit Office to inspect this matter.

Chiang Mai Municipality was also asked to consider the appropriateness of approving the construction request filed by the alleged entrepreneur.

Lam Chang Community declared that they are willing to pay the rental fee, which is set at 60,000 baht a year, to create a community learning space that will benefit the public community.

Related news:

Wat Lam Chang Abbots Clarifies Hotel Land Dispute

Buddhism Office Clarifies Wat Lam Chang Land Dispute