BANGKOK -- On the first lunar cycle of the first month of this year, Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, an eminent Buddhist scholar, threw away her makeup, gave up eating meals after midday and relinquished the luxury of a comfortable bed. A month later, one day before the auspicious date of Buddha's holy Makhapuja Day, she made a trip to Sri Lanka, where she shaved off all her hair and was quietly ordained as a novice monk. A chapter of senior monks then signed a certificate of ordination, their venerable titles taking up most of the page, and the long-suppressed right of Thai women to become fully ordained monks ("bhikkhuni") moved a step closer toward realization. When Chatsumarn returned home to Bangkok a week later, all hell broke loose.
Meeting Chatsumarn, it's hard to believe that this soft-spoken woman swamped in brick-colored robes poses such a threat to the establishment. Yet religious-affairs officials have threatened to close her temple if it isn't properly registered or financial accounts are cloudy. The Thai military suspended interviews with her on their TV station, saying the issue of female monks could have a potentially undesirable impact on society. And, just to rub salt in the wound, the Sangha Supreme Council, Thailand's highest religious governing body, has refused to even acknowledge her existence. It may not amount to religious persecution but Chatsumarn is definitely being picked on.
On the bright side, the TV ban and the threats are nothing compared to what happened when Thai social critic Narin Kleung had his daughters ordained as novices in the 1920s. They were immediately arrested, quickly disrobed and temporarily jailed for their insolence. Backed by sensational press reports, an incensed clergy declared female ordination illegal in 1928. The religious path for Thai women ever since has been fraught with obstacles and social stigma. Those who express the wish to become ordained are accused of being greedy for status and recognition. Sometimes it's suggested that all a woman can do is hope to be reincarnated as a man in her next life. It's either that or opt for the lowly life of the "mae chi" (nun), who has little status in Thailand, is forced to beg on the street and exists in official limbo.