ASIA / PACIFIC
Page 16 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
October 17, 2016
Gripped by grief, Thais mourn death of beloved monarch
By Vijay Joshi and Todd Pitman
The Associated Press
ANGKOK — Thailand began its
first day in 70 years without a king
earlier this month in a profound
state of mourning, as the crown prince
asked for more time before ascending the
throne following the death of his father
and the world’s longest-reigning monarch,
Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The government declared a public
holiday and people across the shaken
nation dressed in black, their eyes swollen
and red with hours of weeping. Many were
still breaking down and sobbing — in
building halls, elevators, shops — in
spontaneous outbursts of emotion that
reflected the deep love and respect
Bhumibol commanded in Thailand.
The 88-year-old king had spent much of
the last decade hospitalized for a variety of
ailments, and the momentous news,
announced in a palace statement, had long
been both anticipated and feared. But the
nation remained stable and life continued
largely as usual with most shops, banks,
and tourist sites open.
A one-year mourning period for the
government has been declared together
with a 30-day moratorium on state and
official events. But as previously specu-
lated, no demands have been made of the
private sector. The government has only
urged people to refrain from organizing
entertainment events for a month,
AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit
AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn, File
B
MONARCH MOURNED. Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, left photo, is pushed in a wheelchair while leaving Siriraj Hospital to preside over the royal cremation
of his cousin, Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda Sirisobhabannavadi, in Bangkok, in this April 9, 2012 file photo. Earlier this month, the 88-year-old king passed away after his
blood pressure dropped and his liver and kidneys stopped working properly. In the right photo, Thais prayed for the king at Siriraj Hospital where he had been treated be-
fore his passing.
apparently mindful of the need to ensure businesses should not stop. Do not try to in Thai people’s heart forever.”
“I’m lost for words because since I was
that the sputtering economy does not let the country lose its credibility,
suffer. Tourism is one of Thailand’s biggest especially in the case of impact on the stock born, I had him as a father of the nation
revenue earners, and entertainment exchange,” Prime Minister Prayuth and he unified us,” said another, Siwanee
Chan-ocha said.
remains an integral part of it.
Varikornsakul. “I’ve never been in this
In Bangkok, residents lined the streets situation before. I don’t know what to say.
The public holiday was declared the
morning after people had already come to where the king’s body passed in a royal My heart is numb.”
work. The stock market and banks procession from Siriraj Hospital to the
Prayuth said Bhumibol’s son, Crown
remained open, as did Thai embassies Temple of the Emerald Buddha, or Wat Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, succeeds the
worldwide. After plunging for days, the Phra Kaew, located on the grounds of the king under the constitution. But he said
Thai stock market opened up, rising more ornate Grand Palace.
the prince had asked for more time to
“It is a great loss for Thai people,” said mourn with the nation before ascending
than four percent in morning trading in a
sign of renewed confidence in the economy. Siwanart Phra-Anan, on office worker in the throne. No date has been set for his
“The stock market, investments, other the financial district. “His Majesty will be
Continued on page 7
Nepal’s most popular Buddhist nun is a musical rock star
SONGSTRESS IN SAFFRON ROBES. Bud-
dhist nun and musician Ani Choying Drolma performs
during a concert in Mumbai, India. She is one Bud-
dhist nun everyone in Nepal knows by name, not be-
cause she’s a religious icon and a UNICEF goodwill
ambassador, nor for her work running a girl’s school
and a hospital for kidney patients, but because she is
one of the country’s biggest pop stars. With more than
12 albums of melodious Nepali tunes and Tibetan
hymns that highlight themes of peace and harmony,
the songstress in saffron robes has won hearts across
the Himalayan nation and abroad. (AP Photo/Rajanish
Kakade)
By Binaj Gurubacharya
The Associated Press
K
ATHMANDU, Nepal — There is
one Buddhist nun everyone in
Nepal knows by name — not
because she’s a religious icon and a
UNICEF goodwill ambassador, nor for her
work running a girl’s school and a hospital
for kidney patients.
Ani Choying Drolma is famous as one of
the country’s biggest pop stars.
With more than 12 albums of melodious
Nepali tunes and Tibetan hymns that
highlight themes of peace and harmony,
the songstress in saffron robes has won
hearts across the Himalayan nation and
abroad.
“I am totally against the conservative,
conventional idea of a Buddhist nun,” the
45-year-old nun said. Some people “think a
Buddhist nun should be someone who does
not come out in the media so much, who is
isolated ... always in a monastery, always
shy. But I don’t believe in that.”
Neither do her fans, who greet her with a
roar of applause whenever she walks out
on stage, and fall silent as she closes her
eyes to sing.
“Every time I get frustrated with life or
get angry, I just listen to Ani’s music and I
calm down,” said one fan, Sunil Tuladhar.
“She is my music goddess.”
But with a career deviating sharply from
what conservatives in Nepal believe to be
the proper path of a Buddhist, she’s caught
criticism as well. One Buddhist monk at
the famed Swayambhu Shrine questioned
how she can reconcile the simple life of a
religious ascetic with the fame and wealth
she’s amassed over her two-decade
musical career.
“How can a nun be making money by
selling her voice, living a luxurious life,
and yet claim she is a nun?” Surya Shakya
asked.
Despite her fame, Drolma looks every bit
the typical Nepalese Buddhist nun, with
her hair shaved short and an ever-present
smile. She travels the world giving
concerts in countries including the United
States, Brazil, China, and India.
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Popular composer Nhyoo Bajracharya,
who has worked with Drolma, describes
her music as a fusion of traditional Tibetan
and Nepali styles. “They are religious
songs, slow rock with flavors of blues and
jazz combined,” he said.
But Drolma believes her singing goes
beyond delivering a catchy tune. Her 2004
hit “Phoolko Aankhama,” which means
“Eyes of the Flower” in the Nepali
language, features lyrics that touch on
religious teachings: “May my heart always
be pure/May my words be always word of
wisdom/May the sole of my feet never kill
Continued on page 7