How the grisly discovery of a ‘foetus mortuary’ re-shaped Thailand’s abortion laws

Years after the country’s abortion legislation shifted, entrenched attitudes still obstruct access in the Buddhist country

Sarah Newey, and Pear Maneechote
15 March 2024

The stench revealed the grisly secret. Wafting through the temple in southern Bangkok, the terrible smell led to the mortuary – and the grim discovery of more than 2,000 foetuses, wrapped in plastic bags and at various stages of decomposition.

The hidden remains were awaiting cremation, the final stage in an underground abortion network in Thailand’s capital. But a broken furnace disrupted the process for months, possibly longer, until the smell grew so potent it was impossible to hide.

Continued: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/women-and-girls/abortion-laws-buddhist-monks-foetus-mortuary-thailand-asia/


Thai monk faces online backlash over abortion stance

JANUARY 28, 2021
By Nanchanok Wongsamuth

BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A Buddhist monk known for his support for LGBT+ rights has sparked outrage among conservatives after he called for Thailand to decriminalise abortion.

Phra Shine Waradhammo was among about 20 pro-choice activists who protested in front of the Thai parliament this week, calling for all penalties to be revoked for women who choose to terminate a pregnancy.

Continued: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-women-buddhism-trfn/thai-monk-faces-online-backlash-over-abortion-stance-idUSKBN29Y0P7


Thailand – End stigma of abortion

End stigma of abortion

Editorial
published : 4 Mar 2020

Abortion has long been a highly stigmatised issue in Thailand given that it is considered "sinful" under Buddhist beliefs. Unsafe abortion at illegal clinics has remained an open secret for years.

However, calls for the legalisation of abortion have not been supported by lawmakers mostly due to religious concerns. Sadly, women and girls with unplanned and unwanted pregnancies have been deprived of their right to choose what they want to do with their bodies and their future.

Continued: https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1871094/end-stigma-of-abortion


Providing safe illegal abortions in Myanmar is a ‘karmic balance,’ says one doctor

This story is a part of a series: Body Politics: The struggle for access to reproductive rights

PRI's The World
September 08, 2016 · 5:00 PM EDT
By Shaina Shealy

Dr. Su Su Yin was doing surgical rounds at Yangon Central Women’s Hospital when a friend came to her with a problem — she was unmarried and pregnant. She asked Dr. Yin for an abortion.

But abortion has long been illegal in Myanmar, except for cases when a woman’s life is at risk. And anyone who assists illegal abortion can face up to three years in prison.

So Dr. Yin told her friend she would not provide an abortion. Days later, she got a phone call from the same friend who complained of a stomachache. Yin says she went to her friend’s house, where she was hit by a foul smell. Her friend had developed a near-fatal infection after getting an abortion at a clinic.

[continued at link]
Source: PRI.org