Scam sales pitch earns area reviewers
PUBLISHED: 21 Oct 2024 at 04: 21
The Royal Forest Department will look into whether the Cherntawan International Meditation Center, located in Chiang Rai’s Muang neighborhood, has encroached forest area.
Surachai Achalaboon, director-general of the Royal Forest Department, said on Sunday he had ordered the district’s Chiang Rai office to research after receiving a statement that the council’s held place exceeds the permitted region of 47 rai. On Monday, authorities may check the site.
He stated that the Doi Pui National Forest Reserve is home to the Cherntawan International Meditation Center.
The Vimuttayalai Foundation requested permission from the National Office of Buddhism to construct the center on 113 ray, and the organization later requested to use another 30 ray, totaling 143 ray, but the exact location is only 190 ray, which is considered to be an invasion on 47 ray of the national forest reserve.
Mr Surachai said the National Reserved Forest Act says that no one shall possess, usage, or live on the land, build, clear, fire the forest or do anything that causes the forest to disintegrate or face a jail term of 1-20 years and a fine of 20, 000-200, 000 baht.
If such an offence occurs over a federal supply area larger than 25 ray, the sentence is jail for 4-20 centuries and a fine of 200, 000-2, 000, 000 baht. In addition, the place must be reclaimed, he said.
State authorities have submitted a complete of 100, 000 calls for permission to build buildings in forest resources across the country, according to Chiwaphap Chiwatham, chairman of the Senate Environmental Committee and former assistant director-general of the Royal Forest Department.
However, several have begun work despite having not received permission.
Mr. Chiwaphap compared the Big Buddha construction on Nak Koet Hill in Phuket province to the Cherntawan International Meditation Center.
In the Nak Koet National Forest Reserve, the Buddha climbed without permission before causing a mudslide that resulted in 13 fatalities in August due to heavy rain.
Instead of constructing a temple or meditation center in the forest that will cover an area of about 200 rai, as the Cherntawan International Meditation Center does, it should be modestly constructed. This is inappropriate”, he said.
A social media post showed Phra Maha Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi telling potential iCon Group members that doing business with the company would lead to wealth, which is when the investigation began.
The clip caused some people to question whether his advice influenced some people to invest in iCon.
The company is accused of running a pyramid fraud scheme, and 18 executives, including the CEO, now face charges. More than 4, 000 victims have come forward so far.
The prominent monk V Vajiramedhi, 51, was not available for comment.