In the current Thai milieu and Buddhist doctrine there is a dearth of support for military monks. This lack of support derives from Buddhist interdictions dating back to the time of the Buddha. One of the earliest canonical sources prohibiting military ordination derives from a time when soldiers eschewed their military duties by entering the sangha. Ironically, the circumstances have inverted, providing the nearopposite reaction. Hand-picked Buddhist soldiers of the army, wishing to perform their duties, now receive a salary, a handgun, an M-16 and admittance into the Thai sangha. The contradictions embodied in the military monk engender a secret that, if publicly disclosed, would probably yield intense reactions from Thai
Buddhists — and, from the local Malay Muslims.