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With political parties and many activists silenced since a coup in 2014, the Dhammakaya Temple is a rare institution in defying the junta, which has so far trodden warily in confronting a religious group that claims millions of followers.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said Article 44 of the constitution - a security measure dubbed "the dictator's law" by critics - was being used to impose control on the monastery because it had resisted law enforcement efforts.
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| Thai army personnel stand outside Dhammakaya temple in Pathum Thani province, north of Thailand February 16, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Silva |
Published in the Royal Gazette in the early hours on Thursday, the order allows forces to enter the area at will, control entry or exit, summon anyone inside, carry out arrests, searches or demolitions, or do anything else they see fit.
Phra Dhammachayo, 72, faces charges of conspiracy to launder money and receive stolen goods, as well as taking over land unlawfully to build meditation centers. The former abbot's aides dismiss the accusations as politically motivated.
Thousands of black-clad police and personnel in combat uniform deployed before dawn around the temple compound, which at 1,000 acres (400 hectares) is nearly 10 times the size of the Vatican City. Motorists were told to avoid the area.
"Blockades are now enforcing prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving," the temple said on its Twitter feed.
Security forces did not say whether there would be an attempt to storm the temple or if they were preparing to wait it out. The junta's order allows water and other services to be cut off.
Police have tried several times over the past year to question the abbot and get into the temple, without success. Each time, thousands of monks and devotees rushed to the temple to barricade the entrances.
