Thought this was nice from Thailand About 2,000 monks and other Buddhist clergy chanted prayers yesterday for victims of the terrorist attacks and the cessation of all further violence. The ceremony, also attended by scores of lay people, took place at Sanam Luang. Col Tongkhao Paungrodpantu, co-ordinator of the event, said the chants were a Buddhist way of bringing peace to the souls of victims of the Sept 11 attacks in the United States. "Only peace and love can create good things in this world," Col Tongkhao said. A 50-year-old layman, Jaranai Chooamnat, said: "I am sure the United States is seeking revenge and more people will die." Others expressed similar sentiments. Thongterm Soisuwan, an 81-year-old woman, said she had seen the tragedy unfold on television. "This is the Buddhist way of sending our best wishes to the dead and to lessen the pain of their relatives," she said of the ceremony, which was organised by the Buddhist University of Thailand. Last Tuesday, Buddhists, Christians and Muslims gathered in front of the US embassy, urging Americans not to seek revenge. Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, with small Muslim, Christian and Hindu minorities. The communities have lived peacefully for generations.
