On February 16 the Thai junta invoked special powers to seal off the the 1,000-acre grounds of the Wat Dhammakaya temple on the outskirts of Bangkok.

Since then thousands of police officers have laid siege to the temple in a bid to arrest 72-year-old monk Phra Dhammachayo, who was believed to be holed-up inside.

The former abbot, who founded the breakaway Buddhist order in 1970 and steered its rise to riches, is accused of money laundering and accepting embezzled funds worth $33 million from the jailed boss of a cooperative bank.

The monk’s followers say he is innocent and deny any knowledge of his whereabouts, instead accusing the junta of a witchhunt against a popular and legitimate Buddhist institution.

The monk’s disappearing act has transfixed the Thai public, spinning out questions of religion and politics and leaving Thailand’s military rulers struggling to explain away the challenge to their authority.

On Saturday cops said Phra Dhammachayo may have left the temple in the early days of the weeks-long siege.

“I believe that he escaped between February 16-18,” Paisit Wongmuang, director-general of the Department of Special Investigation — Thailand’s FBI-equivalent — told reporters.

“We found the temple wall had been destroyed… it was possible someone helped him escape,” he said.

Police ended their siege late Friday but they will maintain a presence in the area which remains under special powers.

Their three week operation lurched into farce as defiant monks led them around secret tunnels, empty rooms and even to the fugitive abbot’s quarters — where cops found a bed with pillows arranged under a sheet in a poor imitation of a sleeping person.

Critics accuse the Dhammakaya sect of promoting a pay-your-way to nirvana philosophy, burnished with “cultish” mass shows of devotion and a sophisticated PR machine.

The temple is also mired in Thailand’s messy politics, with alleged links to ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup and still hated by the Bangkok elite and their military allies who have spent years trying to expunge the influence of his super-rich clan on Thai politics.

In his weekly nationally televised address, Prayut urged the public and the agricultural sector to use water more efficiently as the dry season has arrived.

To avoid water shortages, the prime minister asked people in drought-prone areas and those living outside irrigation zones to store water in large containers whenever there is precipitation, noting that everyone must use water wisely and efficiently so that the country can endure the annual dry season.

The premier instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and other responsible units to reach out to everyone in need, while giving an assurance that the government will continue to monitor the water situation and has prepared a number of measures including rain-making operations.

Water scarcity is a major crisis that occurs on a yearly basis. Since taking office in 2014, the government has been promoting efficient use of water and has invested millions of baht to build reservoirs and water retention areas across Thailand.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Saturday insisted that there would be no revocation of Article 44 that has authorized controlling and searching Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani province.

Prawit said that the temple will continue controlled area as stipulated in the Article.

More than three weeks ago, the government has declared the temple and surrounding areas a controlled area in its bid to locate the former temple abbot Phra Dhammachayo who was under arrest warrant in connection with money laundering and possessing stolen items.

Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Pol Col Phaisit Wongmuang said the DSI has simply reduced the number of officials staking out outside the temple at checkpoints.

He said the DSI will also allow laymen followers and monks to enter the temple.

In the meantime, it will coordinate with the National Office of Buddhism to prevent the temple from holding any activity in the manner of inciting the mass to rally inside or around the temple.

Meanwhile, Dhammakaya monks and novices this morning removed plastic sheets and other items from a protest site in the Klong Luang Central Market in Pathum Thani province, as they prepared to move back into Dhammakaya Temple.

Their move follows a request for cooperation by the DSI. The agency had asked the monks to wind up all nearby “prayer” groups in the controlled area as per the junta order.

On Friday, the temple gave consent for a DSI-led search operation of the temple compound, particularly the 135-room Boon Raksa building, where former abbot Phra Dhammachayo was thought to be hiding, but officers failed to locate the fugitive monk.

The clicking sounds still linger at The Momentum as well as on the whole youthful, energetic crew despite their separation from a product they created and caressed with passion.

The Momentum, an alternative news website that offers readers a package of news, podcasts, subtitled video clips, as well as other funky artworks and photos, has been a phenomenal success, hitting more than 9 million page views within six months of its birth. Its success shook up the generally languishing news industry.

Now the whole crew, led by ex-managing editor Nakarin Wanakijpaibul, has bid farewell to Momentum and its owner – Day Poets – following differences of opinion on ideas and creativity. The online platform will continue with its operations, while the exiting crew is planning a new project along the lines of The Momentum.

“It’s actually heartbreaking. I wouldn’t have left something that I moulded with my own hands,” Nakarin said a few days after his announcement last week. “But for the difference in the attitude of Day Poets’ executive board.”

The Momentum was prematurely launched last October around the time Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong was detained at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Six infographics, with questions and answers about Wong’s significance to Thai diplomatic policies with China, were first published on its Facebook page, as its website was not ready then.

That was how The Momentum shaped its stories: solution-seeking news that seized on the moment, according to Nakarin, who made a success of The Momentum despite being involved with news for the first time. Before that, he had seven years’ experience editing books and magazines.

“I went through research on several news online platforms, noting down everything from their posting frequency, their content management, and other factors,” he said.“ Eventually, I concluded that news fall in any of five categories: the engaging, the big shot, the drama, the humorous, and the inspirational.

“The inspiring segment seemed to suit us the most. We also searched for angles in complex news stories so that people should be able to relate to them in their everyday life.”

For instance, its series on the Dhammakaya Temple operation, while not going overboard in criticising the temple or the police, explored Dhammakaya’s potential threats to Buddhism, the use of Article 44 by the government for the operation, and its relationship with politics.

Another instance of its insightful approach was its treatment of the Oscars gaffe in announcing the Best Picture. The Momentum went beyond playing up the blunder and explored the voting process and also whether the eventual winner “Moonlight” was deserving of the honour.

For The Momentum, being reader-focused was the very pillar of its operation, with energies devoted to providing readers what they would like to know.

Nevertheless, The Momentum never forgets a fundamental principle of journalism, which is being a middle platform for every one.

Nakarin said it was hard to define neutrality and that’s not what The Momentum had tried to achieve. Instead, the website gave equal weight to all sides as much as it could. “Take a look at our coverage on the amended Computer Crime Bill. Separate seminars by Parliament and netizens were all covered by us,” said Nakarin.

With a crew of about 20, including Nakarin himself, it was clear that the team had to focus on quality more than quantity.

If it were a person, The Momentum would be a person in the 30s with calm and critical thinking, Nakarin said.

“We were not of the masses,” he said. “Despite our initial expectations, it turned out that our loyal readers were opinion leaders. This consequently attracted big-shot customers who wanted to touch base with readers of quality.”

Big companies, including AIS, Uniqlo, Air-Asia, Chang, and PTT, for instance, were among top-list customers forging partnerships with the website through tailor-made articles and projects, despite the advertising rate being kept on par with Thailand’s leading mainstream news websites.

To keep The Momentum going, Nakarin said a key thing was to find out what news readers still lacked. There is an abundance of news on online platforms, but it was important to be unique to attract readers, he added.

“Podcasts, subtitled video clips, highlights at the beginning of each article, and time alerts on how long readers will go through an article, we had them all fresh at The Momentum,” Nakarin said. “These are all to deal with the era of disruption. It’s to jump on this online stream. It is now.”

Moving on from The Momentum, the whole crew is now taking its energy and enthusiasm to the Standard, a new platform set to be launched in June. They would work with Wongthanong Chainarongsingha, co-founder of “A Day”, an alternative magazine. Wongthanong also left Day Poets due to disagreement over stock sales.

While not revealing much about the Standard, Nakarin said that all the qualities that made The Momentum unique could also be expected at Standard, with the same reader-focused approach.

“We wish to stand up for people while also standing beside them,” Nakarin remarked. “The Momentum, to us, is like a soft launch. The Standard will be our grand opening. With more professional manpower this time, we expect to bring more wows.”

NACC secretary-general Sansern Pholjiak yesterday said a nine-person subcommittee had been appointed to handle the case in which the British company has admitted to paying over Bt1.2 billion in bribes to Thai officials in return for multi-billion-baht purchase orders for aircraft engines.

The investigation will cover THAI’s entire procurement process for Rolls-Royce engines during 2004 and 2005 when six Boeing 777-200ER passenger jets and one Airbus A340-500/600 were purchased along with Rolls-Royce engines.

The 26 people to be questioned include former transport minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit, former deputy transport minister Vichet Kasemthongsri, former THAI board chairman Thanong Bidaya and the airline’s former president Kanok Apiradee.

Sansern said the investigation would seek to identify who paid and received bribes in connection with the purchase of Rolls-Royce engines for the THAI fleet. Afterwards, the anti-graft body would file charges against the wrongdoers based on evidence obtained on irregularities in the procurement of engines during the period.

However, the agency has yet to name agents representing Rolls-Royce and THAI who were alleged to have arranged the illegal payments for Thai officials to secure the lucrative deal. Politicians who held public office at the time as well as senior airline executives were alleged to have been involved in the case.

Sansern said the NACC would investigate the procurement procedures from the outset to completion and file charges against anyone found to have abused their authority and favoured Rolls-Royce in the supply of engines.

In addition, investigators would look at money trails in the procurement process and file additional charges if officials were found to have demanded bribes in return for the deal.

All the accused would have a chance to defend themselves before the NACC subcommittee, he said. Although there is no fixed time frame for the investigation, the agency would ensure that the investigation is completed as soon as possible.

The NACC will also request assistance from experts at the Anti-Money Laundering Agency, the National Police Bureau, and Office of Public Prosecutors.

Regarding alleged irregularities for engine procurement during 1991-92 and 1992-1997, the agency said it is still gathering evidence to pursue criminal charges against wrongdoers.

Overall, the THAI-Rolls-Royce bribery scandal took place between 1991 to 2005 – based on evidence discovered by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in cooperation with US authorities.

Rolls-Royce, which was heavily fined for breaking the anti-corruption laws, entered into a deal with UK authorities and cooperated in the investigation, resulting in the availability of credible evidence against alleged wrongdoers.

The meeting will be held in a couple of weeks to discuss a legal hurdle in which Uber claims it |cannot register as public transportation because Thai laws are outdated, Pichit said.

The response came after Uber issued a statement on Thursday calling on the public to sign a |petition to support its service.

In its statement, Uber insisted it is not a taxi service, but a ride-sharing service.

The statement said that since the service arrived in Thailand in 2014, it has continuously engaged with the Department of Land Transport (DLT) to clarify that it is not a taxi service but an entirely new type of service called ride-sharing.

It said there are currently no existing Thai regulations that recognise ride-sharing services provided by smartphone applications.

The technology that enables ride-sharing is different from existing public transportation, which is why Uber cannot |register as public transport, the statement said.

“We are committed to continuing dialogue with DLT authorities to explain what Uber is; but we believe it is time to amend the existing legal framework to accommodate this much needed new technology and realise the full benefits it is bringing to |riders, drivers and cities,” it said.

However, Pichit stood firm that the ministry will not change or adjust any laws or regulations for any particular group or |ndividual.

He insisted that using privately owned cars as taxis through its app was definitely illegal.

“If Uber wants to offer taxi services in Thailand it needs to abide by the law and regulations of DLT”, Pichit said.

In its statement, Uber said it hoped Thailand would be able to embrace ride-sharing as other countries in the region have, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Uber also invited the public to support its “ridesharing” by |participating in a petition at https://action.uber.org/th/

The search of the 135-room building, which houses ailing monks and is only partially open due to construction work, was overseen by Dhammakaya communication officer Phra Maha Nopporn Punyachayo.

DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang led officers to conduct the search, also observed by Pathum Thani chief monk Phra Thep Rattanasuthee, National Office of Buddhism officials and provincial governor Surachai Khan-asa.

“Phra Vinayathikar” clergy disciplinary specialists were also present during the search to check on the “Bai Suthi” clergy identification cards of the monks at the temple. Only monks registered at the temple are allowed to be on the premises.

The temple did not object to police conducting the search, that also included Zone A, which is 196 rai (31 hectares) and Zone B, which is 130 rai (21 hectares).

Dhammakaya Temple spokesman Phra Sanitwong Wuthiwangson yesterday morning turned himself in at Pathum Thani’s Klong 5 Police Station to hear the charge of violating a junta order for failing to present himself before the DSI chief.

Police had summoned Phra Sanitwong and 13 other monks including Phra Dhammachayo to hear the charge. With Phra Sanitwong’s surrender all the monks have complied with the summons, with the exception of only Phra Dhammachayo.

After the 45-year-old monk was questioned for 30 minutes, he was brought to the Thanyaburi Provincial Court to apply for the first 12-day detention order.

He was later released on Bt100,000 bail on the condition that he would not tamper with evidence or leave Thailand, his lawyer Winyat Chatmontri said.

The court did not object to him entering and leaving Dhammakaya Temple, Winyat said

The monk returned to the temple without speaking to the media.

On Thursday, Phra Sanitwong surrendered at the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok to hear charges against him of incitement, violation of the Computer Crime Act and defamation.

He denied the charges and was later granted a Bt400,000 bail release by Ratchadapisek Criminal Court on the condition he does would not obstruct officers in performing their duty, engage in incitement activities or leave the country without court permission.

Activists from Khao Kuha Communal Rights Protection Association, The People’s Network on Mineral, and other organisations began the march, named “Walk with Love from Mountain to the Sea”, to raise public awareness of problems with the EIA and planned developments.

They will trek from Khao Kuha in Songkhla’s Rattaphum district to the planned site of Pak Bara Seaport in Satun’s La-ngu district to protest at the proposed Songkhla-Satun Landbridge project.

Eakachai Isaratha, Khao Kuha Communal Rights Protection Association secretary-general, said the groups wanted to emphasise faults in the current process, as they had a bad experience with an “improper” EIA for the Khao Kuha quarry.

“Misleading EIA and improper public participation will only lead to problems and conflicts, so our association and the alliance groups started this long march to protest against these bad practices and campaign for reform,” Eakachai said.

“Moreover, we also ask for the Songkhla-Satun Landbridge project and subsequent projects to be discarded because these projects will damage the natural resources of the country, destroy people’s livelihoods and increase inequality in society.”

The groups intend to walk for seven days to the first public hearing forum of the Pak Bara Seaport project, which will be held in La-ngu district next Thursday.

Eakachai said people living near Khao Kuha quarry had bad memories about the improper EIA and public participation. They did not know about the EIA and public participation until the report passed consideration and the project got the green light to operate.

“We learned from our experience that the current EIA and public participation cannot prevent negative impacts from the project and that the entire process is just a stamp for the project to begin,” he said.

“This is why we want to emphasise the need for an EIA and public participation to be reformed before the public hearing for Pak Bara seaport starts, which is the first step toward the operation to turn the Southern Region into the industrial zone without people’s consent.”

He said Pak Bara seaport was only a part of a much larger plan to industrialise the Southern Region as the Landbridge project would involve Pak Bara and Songkhla deep-water seaport, a railroad link, Thepa coal-fired power plant, and an industrial zone.

The groups’ statement also said these projects would require a large amount of natural resources to support industry and infrastructure development. At least three mountains would be demolished for construction material.

“We urge the government to comply with the framework of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and follow the late King’s footsteps on a sufficiency economy,” Eakachai said.