The mystery of the missing plaque of the Revolution in 1932
A plaque commemorating the June 1932 Siamese Revolution (which converted absolute monarchy to a constitutional one) in the pavement of the Royal Plaza has been removed and replaced with another plaque emphasizing the state, Buddhism and kingship. What happened and what is the aftermath?
On June 24, 1932, members of the 'People's Party', led by civilian Pridi Phanomyong and military man Plaek Phibunsongkhraam, staged a non-violent coup that turned absolute monarchy into a constitutional one, a momentous day in Thai history. They forced King Rama VII to accept a constitution, although Thai history books usually state that it was precisely King Rama VII who gave the constitution to the grateful people.
Four years later, in 1936, a commemorative plaque, a bronze plaque, was placed in the pavement of the Royal Plaza, a dozen meters away from the statue of the highly revered King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) mounted on a horse. During the reign of the dictator Sarit Thanarat (1957-1962) the plaque disappeared for some years.
To the shock of many, it turned out a few days ago that the memorial plaque had been replaced by another. This plaque is one of the few public reminders of the 1932 revolution.
The text on the original plaque read:
Original plaque'In this place, on the morning of June 24, 1932, the Constitution for the Progress of the Nation was born.
On the edge of the new plaque states the text of the motto of the current Chakri dynasty:
New plaque'Loyalty and love for the Three Jewels (the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha), for family and for the king is good. With this the state can move forward!'
and further: 'Long live Siam! Happy and honest citizens build the strength of the nation!'
In November 2016, an ultra-royalist, Thepmontri Limpaphayorm, threatened to remove the plaque.
Photos show that on the night of April 4 to 5, a tent was set up on the site of the plaque, surrounded by crush barriers and a sign saying 'No Entry'. That was a few days before the new king signed the newly adopted Constitution on April 6, Chakri Day, a day commemorating the accession to the throne of the first Chakri monarch, Rama I. A few days later, the replacement of the plaque was pushed through to public.
The government replied 'No comment' when asked about this event. Bangkok's police chief said it knew nothing about it and later said it is difficult to launch an investigation into the theft of the plaque "because we don't know who owns it."
Change.org has started a signature campaign. Scientists and social media generally react negatively. Sinsawat Yotbangtoey, a former director of the Pridi Phanomyong Institute says: "No one can erase history even if the plaque is stolen"
A granddaughter of one of the members of the then 'People's Party' demands a search for the missing memorial plaque. Police are now guarding the site of the 'disappeared plaque' and preventing journalists from taking photos.
Soldiers, who are now allowed to assume all police duties, arrested Srisuwan Janya and took him to a military camp where no one can reach him at the moment. Srisuwan is the president of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, which has already raised 3.000 complaints of corruption and other misconduct in the past. He wanted to petition the prime minister to start an investigation into the disappearance of the plaque and then return it to its original place. For this shameful act he was arrested and imprisoned but released after 12 hours.
Former MP Watana Muangsook (Phua Thai) has been charged with a 'computer crime' (up to 5 years in prison, I believe). He wrote on his Facebook page that the plaque is 'national heritage'.
The disappearance of the old plaque and its replacement by a new one has led many people to study the history of that time more.
Most comments assume that the removal of the plaque would not have been possible without the cooperation of the highest Thai authorities.
www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2017/04/14/1932-revolution-plaque-removed/
www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/04/15/1932-revolution-plaque-important/
About this blogger
-
Born in 1944 in Delfzijl as the son of a simple shopkeeper. Studied in Groningen and Curacao. Worked as a doctor in Tanzania for three years, then as a general practitioner in Vlaardingen. A few years before my retirement I married a Thai lady, we had a son who speaks three languages well.
Lived in Thailand for almost 20 years, first in Chiang Kham (Phayao province) then in Chiang Mai where I liked to bother all kinds of Thai with all kinds of questions. Followed Thai extracurricular education after which a diploma of primary school and three years of secondary school. Did a lot of volunteer work. Interested in the Thai language, history and culture. Have been living in the Netherlands for 5 years now together with my son and often with his Thai girlfriend.
And that leaves the great leader to pick up advocates who raise concerns about this and other matters. People like the neutral Srisuwan Janya… Because asking questions only creates unrest. And it's just a plaque, isn't it? Would the Prayuth be a real Thai that he doesn't care about the history and the first constitution?
Source: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2017/04/19/meet-thailands-super-gadfly-srisuwan-janya/
And another example: activist Ekachai Hongkangwan was also arrested because he dared to ask the owner of the new plaque to be found. because according to the Junta they know nothing… What a mystery because who owns the historical plaque and who replaced it? The national government does not know, even though everything happened in a prominent place under the noses of the police and military. And if there is no owner or the Junta can remove that new plaque. But with such a request you are not in step, and that is dangerous. Good citizens keep their mouths shut. Completely logical, therefore, that arrest and probably a while to the re-education camps / courses ...
Sources:
- http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/04/25/activist-arrested-attempting-petition-prayuth-plaque/
- http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/04/18/authorities-respond-questions-missing-plaque-arrests-silence/
“Back to the future” comes to mind. Sorry for the english.
Interesting piece. One could therefore conclude that the removers are in favor of the pre-1932 system.
It was a shameful act, 100% illegal, let's not forget that and let history be written by those who conquered by force.
If resistance had been offered, the coup would certainly not have gone so “bloodless”, in fact this peace-loving, soft man “at gunpoint” was obliged to sign something . . . , not ?
If the “coup” had failed, its protagonists would have been severely punished!
Jan
Dear Chris,
Quote:
'The perpetrators – in my opinion – must be sought in ultra-royalist circles that have little sympathy with the new king and also with a military government that has sided with him. After October 13, they had a different scenario for Thailand in mind.'
That's an interesting line of reasoning that I haven't come across in the many social media posts. Quite possible too. That would explain a lot.
What argues against it is the fact that the replacement of the plaque could not possibly have been accomplished without the prior knowledge and cooperation of the government, and that does not fit with your reasoning. The Royal Plaza, with its Throne Hall and the statue of Rama V, is one of the best guarded places in Thailand with a number of police posts. The fact that a few days before the change of the plaque all 11 CCTV surveillance cameras were removed by the Bangkok authorities may have been deliberate or coincidental. So I think it more likely that a very high-ranking person ordered this and that the military government gave permission, perhaps reluctantly. The government's mumbling afterward also speaks to their guilt—and perhaps shame.
In my piece above I deliberately did not discuss possible perpetrators and motives, but your response forces me to do so. Fortunately we can chat again..... 🙂