Meditation Centre To Be Built On Bangkok Foetus Morgue Site

[webfact]

Meditation centre to be built

By The Nation

Discussion with abbot today on details of facility to be erected after morgue is dismantled

After the morgue at Bangkok's Wat Phai Ngern -- where the dead foetuses were uncovered -- is dismantled soon, a meditation centre will be built on the site, PM's Office Minister Ongart Klampaiboon said yesterday.

Details of the facility's construction will be discussed with the abbot today, while a planned meritmaking for the dead babies will take place soon, he said. Cremation of all the foetuses will be discussed after police have completed autopsies on them.

Citing a Thai tradition forbidding cremation of young babies, Ongart said he would seek advice from people with the knowledge to make a final decision based on cultural aspects of the case.

After an inspection of all morgues, which uncovered a total of 2,002 foetuses last week, people have started leaving offerings and flowers at the scene in memory of the unborn children.

The first meritmaking ceremony hosted by the temple is scheduled for Saturday, and it is preparing to host activities expected to draw a crowd of thousands. The ceremony begins at 9.30 am with 40 monks chanting Buddhist prayers to mourn the unborn and deliver the merit to them.

A prank call was made to Phraya Krai police yesterday claiming 20 foetuses had been found in areas near the temple, but police and rescue workers found nothing after a thorough inspection.

Police said they had assigned a guard to watch over Suthep Chabangbon and Suchart Phoomee, the two undertakers released on bail after admitting to hiding or disposing of the foetuses without permission. They now reside in the temple.

Responding to speculation over possible media reforms to control coverage of provocative issues and sexuallyoriented content, Ongart said he thought the media was careful enough about its professional ethics. He said a government campaign to encourage morality among teenagers would soon be carried out as planned.

-- The Nation 2010-11-22

[Colabamumbai]

Obviously it is time for Thailand to look at changing the abortion laws. I think this problem will just move to another Wat.

[cup-O-coffee]

There is a saying that goes something like this: "Funerals are for the living!" A memorial will be a nice thing to make the bad dreams go away, won't it?

There is a ludicrous nature of building a memorial for what some people consider nonviable tissue.

"...where the dead foetuses were uncovered..."

"...a planned meritmaking for the dead babies will take place soon,"

"...Cremation of all the foetuses will be discussed after police have completed autopsies on them."

"...a Thai tradition forbidding cremation of young babies,"

"...uncovered a total of 2,002 foetuses last week."

"...people have started leaving offerings and flowers at the scene in memory of the unborn children."

"...with 40 monks chanting Buddhist prayers to mourn the unborn and deliver the merit to them."

"...claiming 20 foetuses had been found in areas near the temple,"

"...after admitting to hiding or disposing of the foetuses without permission."

WOW! I am getting dizzy with the back and forth ambiguity.

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A] They're fetuses; no; wait, they're babies, I mean young babies, ummm... I mean unborn children, errr... no; I mean the unborn! Ahhhh! I can't decide!

B] No; they're fetuses!

A] But the monks are going to send them merit! That acknowledges that a life force was already incarnating the tissue!

B] No, the article says fetus! How can something that was never alive receive something? I mean, the house is constructed, but no one is home!

A] Well, I don't know. Maybe the monk's prayers will get there like air mail, or ecto mail.

B] Alright, but are these the same monks who knew about the increasing numbers of body (tissue?) bags collecting in their own morgue over the last year? Surely they knew. Surely they could have reported this to the authorities when the first bag came in? Maybe the prayers won't be well received because these life forces are understandably a bit angry over being sent something by the ones who could have stopped it at the outset?

-----------------------

Sorry, I can not begin to take any of this seriously. Any life that was there is way beyond human help. What remains is pathetic drivel beyond measure.

Edited November 22, 2010 by cup-O-coffee

[phaethon]

Hmmm... a place where they can go and think about what they've done...

I have a name for it - Wat Naughtystep.

[bushwacker]

I think the Thais would be afraid to go there because of all the angry ghosts. :jap:

[animatic]

I think the Thais would be afraid to go there because of all the angry ghosts. :jap:

Likely.

Not without a phalanx of monks making merit in official ceremony.

To go there on their own would be quite intimidating.

Would a phi krasu follow them home and haunt them for ever?

[Thaddeus]

Would a phi krasu follow them home and haunt them for ever?

I'm sure that could be prevented, for a price.

[jayjay0]

I think the Thais would be afraid to go there because of all the angry ghosts. :jap:

Not being Thai I really can not say.

For myself I would have no problem going there. Have been to the cemeteries in Gonchanokburi (sorry about the spelling) Where the dead POW's were buried very peaceful same with the foreigners cemetery here in Chiang Mai.

But I am not that sure I would want to meditate there.:jap:

Edited November 22, 2010 by jayjay0

[yellow1red1]

Would a phi krasu follow them home and haunt them for ever?

I'm sure that could be prevented, for a price.

same my thots on reading the headline,,, an excuse for creating a baht taking ceremony,,, where is the row of new food carts going?

next up minibus tours...........

[cmsally]

Surely the money would be better spent on education and free contraceptives. Overhauling the abortion laws also.

It's a bit obvious here that there is a problem and a spanking new meditation centre won't cure it.

[Thaddeus]

Surely the money would be better spent on education and free contraceptives.

You are quite right, that would be better, but it doesn't benefit the Wat, which is why it probably will not happen.

[Neonben]

Haha, spot on.

[EyesWideOpen]

 deleted

Edited November 22, 2010 by rhiekel

[asiawatcher]

Surely the money would be better spent on education and free contraceptives. Overhauling the abortion laws also.

It's a bit obvious here that there is a problem and a spanking new meditation centre won't cure it.

Absolutely - my thoughts in a previous post.

[mrgreg]

Wat Phai Ngern has been doing wrong and therefore should not benefit a single baht from meritmakings. I do hope the meritmakings will be carefully controlled and will be reallocated to other wats and associations in needs.

[Gers1873]

Surely the money would be better spent on education and free contraceptives. Overhauling the abortion laws also.

It's a bit obvious here that there is a problem and a spanking new meditation centre won't cure it.

Nail hit quite firmly on the head. Lets educate these young girls and provide them free contraceptives. There is nothing to meditate but there is a massive country wide problem seeking a solution.

[khaowong1]

I think the Thais would be afraid to go there because of all the angry ghosts. :jap:

I think you might be right here... after the 2004 tsunami, many Thai's wouldn't go back to Phuket because of the ghosts.

[Darkman]

I think the Thais would be afraid to go there because of all the angry ghosts. :jap:

I think you might be right here... after the 2004 tsunami, many Thai's wouldn't go back to Phuket because of the ghosts.

Really!!

I was in Phuket just 6 months after the tsunami and Thai's were all over the place, most of them selling 'T' shirts that read.... "I've been hit by a tsunami and survived" or Phuket - Tsunami Island 2004".

Give me a break, if there is money to be made, everyone will be there, ghosts or no ghosts. Remember how they got there in the first place, someone was making money by offering illegal abortions.

[Thai at Heart]

I think the Thais would be afraid to go there because of all the angry ghosts. :jap:

Likely.

Not without a phalanx of monks making merit in official ceremony.

To go there on their own would be quite intimidating.

Would a phi krasu follow them home and haunt them for ever?

Not being Buddhist, this is all a little beyond me, but sitting in quiet contemplation in a place associated with this would definitely not be my cup of tea.