The power struggle behind Thailand's temple row

Buddhist monks stand in front of soldiers between a wire barricade at Dhammakaya temple, in Pathum Thani province, Thailand February 23, 2017. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A stand-off between security forces and monks at Thailand's biggest temple has exposed a struggle as much about power as religion in the predominantly Buddhist country, where the junta has shut down dissent since a 2014 coup.

For the past week, some 4,000 police and soldiers have surrounded the Dhammakaya temple, which practices a form of Buddhism at odds with conservatives. It is widely seen as linked to the populist movement of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra - which the temple firmly denies - and its size makes it increasingly influential.