THAILAND: BUDDHISTS PREPARE FOR MASS CREMATION OF UNCLAIMED BODIES

Record ID: 646271

  • Title: THAILAND: BUDDHISTS PREPARE FOR MASS CREMATION OF UNCLAIMED BODIES
  • Date: 21st November 1997
  • Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (NOVEMBER 22, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: WIDE OF THE GRAVE YARD 0.07 2. MV/SV: EMPTY GRAVES (2 SHOTS) 0.15 3. MCU/CU: BASKETS FILLED WITH SKULLS/ CLOSE UP SKULLS (3 SHOTS) 0.29 4. GV: FIRE CRACKERS 0.34 5. SV/SCU: BUDDHIST MONKS PRAYING (2 SHOTS) 0.47 6. CU/MV: CLOSE UP OF THE BELL RINGING/ PEOPLE PRAYING (2 SHOTS) 1.00 7. GV/MCU: CHARITY WORKERS MOVING BASKETS WITH THE SKULLS (4 SHOTS) 1.25 8. MCU: OLD WOMEN PRAYING 1.30 9. GV/MCU: WOMEN PRAYS AND MOVES THE SKULLS/ CLOSE UP OF THE HANDS MOVING THE SKULLS (3 SHOTS) 1.55 10. GV/CU: WORKERS LOADING BASKETS ON THE TRUCKS/ CLOSE UP OF THE BASKET LOADED WITH BONES (2 SHOTS) 2.10 11. CU: MR NATTHAPAT LILAKITICHOK SAYING:" I BROUGHT "SEDAN" CAR, BUT THE BASKETS ARE TOO BIG TO FIT IN THE BACK OF MY CAR. I WANTED TO HELP AND I AM RELLY SORRY THAT I WAS UNABLE TO DO SO."(THAI) 2.26 12. MV/GV: TRUCKS DRIVING AWAY LOADED WITH BASKETS OF BONES/ COLUMN OF VEHICLES DRIVING ON THE STREETS OF BANGKOK (3 SHOTS) 2.45 Initials s.3 - p.3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 6th December 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
  • City:
  • Country: Thailand
  • Reuters ID: LVA9GWHSUGZWBTBHWJ0GB6F3AKK8
  • Story Text: INTRO: A remarkable ceremony is taking place in Bangkok where more than 20,000 unclaimed bodies are being dug up from a graveyard for a ritual Buddhist cremation next month.

    Every year in Bangkok the cemetery is cleared out to make way for new arrivals.

    There is space for about 4,000 bodies, but about a quarter of these are opened up and the remains moved to allow for fresh burials.

    The graveyard at the city's Don Temple is run by a charitable foundation that provides funeral rights for unclaimed corpses nationwide.

    Over the past two years, more than 10,000 bodies have been collected, at a rate of almost 100 per month.

    The volunteers who perform the cleansing ritual consider it a merit-making exercise. Buddhist chants are recited as each set of remains is unearthed. Trucks loaded with baskets of bones are then driven to a site on the outskirts of Bangkok where they will be cremated.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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