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‘Long Live Ratthathammanūn!’: Constitution worship in revolutionary Siam

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 January 2018

PULI FUWONGCHAROEN
PULI FUWONGCHAROEN*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University, Thailand Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Siam managed to replace royal absolutism with limited monarchy in June 1932 without any chaos or bloodshed. But the transition quickly proved to be far from complete. The country was to undergo a major upheaval before suffering a semi-civil war only about a year after the princely rule was toppled. The new regime, accordingly, began to consider its constitution as a symbol behind which the people could be mobilized. A massive campaign for the document was then launched in late 1933 and it soon culminated in what can be regarded as the practice of constitution worship. This article will look at the campaign in detail, especially with respect to its underlying logics; the aim is to reveal and analyse the attempt by the revolutionary regime to transform the first permanent constitution into a sacred entity. Meanwhile, in pursuing such an aim, this article will shed light on the formation of a constitutional culture in Siam. Given that a basic law had never existed in the country, the article will discuss not only how the state promoted the permanent constitution, but also how the Siamese society encountered and experienced constitutional rule for the first time.

Type
Research Article
Information
Modern Asian Studies , Volume 52 , Issue 2 , March 2018 , pp. 609 - 644
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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22 Thompson, V., Thailand: The new Siam, Macmillan, New York, 1941, pp. 70–1Google Scholar.

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25 See Chaiching, N., ‘The monarchy and the royalist movement in modern Thai politics, 1932–1957’ in Saying the Unsayable: Monarchy and Democracy in Thailand, Ivarsson, S. and Isager, L. (eds), NIAS, Copenhagen, 2011, pp. 158–61Google Scholar.

26 The elections were indirect ones and lasted from early October to mid-November. Only half of the seats in the parliament were open to contest.

27 For the rebellion in detail, see Mektrairat, Khwāmkhit khwāmrū læ amnāt kānmū'ang nai kānpatiwat sayām 2475, pp. 295–317.

28 TNA, FO 371/17176, F7425/42/40 (20 October 1933).

29 TNA, FO 371/17176, F7593/42/40 (26 October 1933).

30 TNA, FO 371/18207, F3240/21/40 (25 May 1934).

31 See Minutes of Proceedings, Siamese Parliament, 6/2476 (20 July 1933), pp. 173–4.

32 Wichit was a prolific writer as well as a political opportunist. He used to join hands with the old guards in challenging the People's Party, but later switched side. Wichit was on his way to becoming an influential figure under the new regime. For more on him, see Barmé, Luang Wichit Wathakan.

33 National Archives, Bangkok, Thailand (NAT), Ministry of Education, (2) Sǭ Thǭ 26/839.

34 NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/13.

35 The newspaper Prachachat, 18 December 1933, p. 6. It would be more accurate to translate ‘Samākhom khana ratthathammanūn’ as ‘the Association of Constitutionalists’. However, according to English-language materials from the period, such as newspapers, magazines, and diplomatic reports, the association was commonly called ‘the Association of the Constitution’ or ‘the Constitution Association’.

36 TNA, FO 371/18206, F565/21/40 (22 December 1933). Prince Wan was a shrewd career diplomat in his forties who instantly became an asset to the new regime. Despite being of blue blood, he embraced the revolution with enthusiasm and served Prime Minister Phahon officially as his political adviser.

37 Prachachat, 15 December 1933, p. 3.

38 Fuwongcharoen, P., ‘Phrarātchaphithī phrarātchathān ratthathammanūn: Naiya hæng kānmū'ang sanya hæng amnāt’ [‘The royal granting ceremony of the Constitution: political significance and power representations’], Sinlapa-watthanatham, vol. 36, no. 2, December 2014, pp. 72–91Google Scholar.

39 Chaloemtiarana, T., Thailand: The Politics of Despotic Paternalism, Cornell University, Ithaca, 2007, p. 2Google Scholar; see also Mektrairat, Khwāmkhit khwāmrū læ amnāt kānmū'ang nai kānpatiwat sayām 2475, p. 91; Sukatipan, S., ‘Thailand: the evolution of legitimacy’ in Political Legitimacy in Southeast Asia: The Quest for Moral Authority, Alagappa, M. (ed.), Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1995, p. 196Google Scholar.

40 Both were the masterminds behind the decisive move against Mano. Phibul later commanded the government troops in the battle against Bovoradet; he was seen as the rising star in the army.

41 For the full list, see Constitution Association, Pramūan ‘ekasān samākhom khana ratthathammanūn lem 1 [Documents from the Constitution Association, Vol. 1], Thai Mai, Bangkok, 1934, pp. 14–18Google Scholar.

42 Ibid., pp. 19–29, 37.

43 NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/19.

44 Constitution Association, Pramūan ‘ekasān samākhom khana ratthathammanūn lem 1, pp. 46–7.

45 See for example NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/2; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 5/24; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 5/44; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 5.3/25.

46 In Uttaradit, for example, every key public official also sat on the committee that ran the local branch of the Constitution Association; the provincial governor, the judge, the prosecutor, the treasurer, and so forth were all in it. NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/19; see also the newspaper Kana Rathadhamanoon, 28 August 1938, p. 1.

47 NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/19. Even remote provinces like Narathiwat and Pattani opened their own branches as early as June 1934; several provinces in the North followed suit in November the same year. NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/19; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 5/24.

48 Prachachat, 18 December 1933, p. 6.

49 Constitution Association, Pramūan ‘ekasān samākhom khana ratthathammanūn lem 1, p. 46.

50 Prachachat, 18 December 1933, p. 6.

51 NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/19.

52 Ibid.

53 Ibid., pp. 49–52.

54 NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/19.

55 Such a policy was introduced by Mano in early 1933 as part of his attempt to weaken the People's Party.

56 Despite its origins and nature, the Constitution Association often maintained that it was not a political organization and its objectives were unrelated to politics. See NAT, Ministry of Education, Sǭ Thǭ 1/493; NAT, Ministry of Education, Sǭ Thǭ 0701.48/4.

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58 Cabinet Secretariat Archives, Bangkok, Thailand (CSAT), Sǭ Khǭ Lǭ 3.2.1/7, p. 7.

59 Ibid., p. 10.

60 Ibid., p. 14.

61 Minutes of Proceedings, Siamese Parliament, 34/2475 (16 November 1932), p. 357.

62 CSAT, Sǭ Khǭ Lǭ 3.2.1/7, p. 19; NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (3) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.66.1/12.

63 NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (3) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.66.1/14.

64 NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/19; NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.97.4/1; NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (3) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.66.1/14; Prachachat, 28 August 1934, p. 3.

65 CSAT, Sǭ Khǭ Lǭ 3.2.1/7, p. 31.

66 Prachachat, 24 September 1934, p. 35.

67 Ibid., 28 September 1934, pp. 5, 33.

68 CSAT, Sǭ Khǭ Lǭ 3.2.1/7, pp. 44–6.

69 NAT, Ministry of Education, Sǭ Thǭ 0701.1/6; NAT, Ministry of Education, Sǭ Thǭ 0701.9/19; NAT, Ministry of Education, Sǭ Thǭ 0701.41.1/5.

70 Minutes of Proceedings, Siamese Parliament, 24/2477 (23 February 1934), pp. 1688–9; NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.35.2/1. See also CSAT, Sǭ Khǭ Lǭ 3.2.1/7, pp. 94, 98; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2/139.

71 CSAT, Sǭ Khǭ Lǭ 3.2.1/7, pp. 104–5.

72 A member of the executive committee of the Constitution Association even suggested that every household in the country should own a replica of the Constitution. See NAT, Ministry of Education, Sǭ Thǭ 0701.41.1/20.

73 CSAT, Sǭ Khǭ Lǭ 3.2.1/7, pp. 111–12.

74 NAT, Office of the Council of State (Microfilm), Mǭ-Sǭ Khǭ Kǭ 1/249.

75 Ibid.

76 Ibid. Around the same time, the Cabinet told the Ministry of Finance to suppress any questionable trademark that contained an image of the Constitution. See NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (3) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.66.1/17.

77 NAT, Office of the Council of State (Microfilm), Mǭ-Sǭ Khǭ Kǭ 1/249.

78 However, in April 1939, the parliament added three clauses to the Penal Code to provide the prime minister with special protection against anyone who sought to put him in harm's way.

79 TNA, FO 371/19377, F297/296/40 (11 December 1934).

80 NAT, Ministry of Education, Sǭ Thǭ 1/447; NAT, Ministry of Education, Sǭ Thǭ 0701.23.2/1.

81 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/4; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/9; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/10; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/21.

82 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/2. Popped rice was a lucky symbol in Siamese culture; its popping when heated represented prosperity and progress.

83 Ibid.; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/1; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/3; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/4; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/21; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 5.14/1.

84 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/8.

85 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.5/129; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.5/926; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/10; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/21.

86 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/7.

87 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.5/136; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.5/252; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.5/690; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/2; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/6; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/7; NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/9.

88 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.5/732.

89 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/10.

90 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/3.

91 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 5/10. In 1936, the state even instructed its officials to dress up ‘elegantly’ when they attended a Constitution Day function. See NAT, Ministry of Education, Sǭ Thǭ 0701.1/14.

92 TNA, FO 371/19377, F297/296/40 (11 December 1934).

93 NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/19.

94 TNA, FO 628/50 (15 December 1934).

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98 Barmé, Luang Wichit Wathakan, p. 111.

99 TNA, FO 371/19377, F297/296/40 (11 December 1934).

100 See for example the newspaper Itsara, 11 December 1933, p. 3; Prachachat, 12 December 1934, pp. 2–4; Prachachat, 18 December 1934, p. 4; Prachachat, 2 December 1935, pp. 1–2, 4; Prachachat, 21 December 1937, pp. 19, 33–4; the Bangkok Chronicle, 9 December 1939, p. 6.

101 TNA, FO 628/50 (15 December 1934).

102 NAT, Ministry of Interior, Mǭ Thǭ 2.2.13/7.

103 TNA, FO 371/19377, F297/296/40 (11 December 1934).

104 See Barmé, Luang Wichit Wathakan, pp. 144–7; Suwannathat-Pian, K., Thailand's Durable Premier: Phibun through Three Decades, 1932–1957, Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur, 1995, pp. 81–4Google Scholar.

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106 Quoted in Kasetsiri, Prawat kānmū'ang thai sayām phǭ. sǭ. 2475–2500, p. 187.

107 NAT, Office of the Prime Minister, (2) Sǭ Rǭ 0201.52/19.

108 See ibid.

109 Barmé, Luang Wichit Wathakan, pp. 143–4.

110 See N. Chaiching, ‘Kānmū'ang thai samai ratthabān čhǭmphon pǭ phibūnsongkhrām phāitāi rabǭplok khǭng saharatamērikā (phǭ. sǭ. 2491–2500)’ [‘Thai politics in Phibul's government under the U.S. world order (1948–1957)], PhD dissertation, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 2009, pp. 66–7.

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114 Subrahmanyan, ‘Education’, pp. 1141–2.

115 Barmé, Luang Wichit Wathakan, p. 113; see also Chaloemtiarana, Thailand, p. 2.

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