Activist group up in arms over change in ‘peg’ that heralded democracy in 1932

[rooster59]

Activist group up in arms over change in ‘peg’ that heralded democracy in 1932

By The Nation

 

 

A pro-democracy action group has cried foul over the mysterious removal of a historic peg that marked the start of democracy in Thailand by a revolution in 1932, demanding it be returned to its place at the Royal Plaza.

 

The People’s Party “Memorial Peg” (Mhud Khana Ratsadon), which was made of brass, has been replaced with a new one with different wording that says nothing about the 1932 revolution. The revolution changed the country’s ruling system from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy.

 

Srisuwan Janya, secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, on Friday issued a statement demanding that the new peg be removed and the original one reinstated immediately.

 

A Facebook page called Mhud Khana Ratsadorn alerted the public on Friday that the historical peg had been removed and replaced with a new one.

 

So far, no government agency has come forward to take responsibility for the action. Government agencies, including the Fine Arts Department, said they knew nothing about the change.

 

The wording of the original peg said: “Here, on June 24, 1932 at dawn, the Khana Rassadorn started a constitution for the progress of the country”.

 

But the new peg states: “May Siam country have sustainability and the people be happy to be the force of the land. The respect and love in the three gems and their own state, their family, and their loyalty towards their King will bring about progress of their state.”

 

Srisuwan said in the statement that a group of persons or an agency was trying to change the country’s history with the new peg.

 

He said the historical peg was once removed during the dictatorial regime of Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat who staged a coup in 1957, but it was later reinstated on the order of Parliament secretary-general Prasert Pattahamsukhon.

 

In the statement, Srisuwan said the change of the historical peg violated the law and Article 57 (1) of the new Constitution.

 

He said the government, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Interior Ministry and the Culture Ministry must take all steps to reinstate the historical peg.

 

Srisuwan warned that if no action were taken, the association would invoke Article 51 of the new charter to sue government agencies concerned.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312321

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-15

[yellowboat]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He said the historical peg was once removed during the dictatorial regime of Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat who staged a coup in 1957, but it was later reinstated on the order of Parliament secretary-general Prasert Pattahamsukhon.

Sounds as though history is repeating itself. 

 

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Srisuwan warned that if no action were taken, the association would invoke Article 51 of the new charter to sue government agencies concerned.

Oh please do.   Just have to wonder which idiots to do this was on.

[Bob12345]

Quote

Srisuwan warned that if no action were taken, the association would invoke Article 51 of the new charter to sue government agencies concerned.

The constitution was written for the elite to keep the people in control.

 

I doubt that the people can use it to get what they want also. They probably missed some hidden wording somewhere rendering all their demands void.

And if not, maybe its time to rewrite the constitution again to make it clear that the law only kicks down.

[soalbundy]

next come the history books, the old ones containing lies will be burnt,where has this happened before?

[yardrunner]

8 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

next come the history books, the old ones containing lies will be burnt,where has this happened before?

don't you mean inconvenient truths

[jonclark]

Clearly the production and  changing of the pegs has been planned and approved at what I am guessing is a high level given the prominent geography. 

 

[Dumbastheycome]

Reads like a loose  peg  in either  version if both  are  full and correct in translation.

[KhaoNiaw]

4 hours ago, soalbundy said:

next come the history books, the old ones containing lies will be burnt,where has this happened before?

That would probably account for most of the history books used in the education system here already. It's nothing new here at all and has not been the preserve of military governments either. You can find serious scholarship on Thai history if you look but it won't be reflected in the books used in schools. 

Edited April 15, 2017 by KhaoNiaw

[tbthailand]

rewriting history.

 

it's what dictatorships do.

 

[Reigntax]

34 minutes ago, tbthailand said:

rewriting history.

 

it's what dictatorships do.

 

 

And there are still those who support them no matter how obvious, to anyone not blinded by rhetoric, their intentions are.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Reigntax

[Srikcir]

18 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Article 51 of the new charter to sue government agencies concerned

"The State shall; (1) conserve, restore and promote local wisdom, art, culture, tradition and custom of good value in the locality and the nation, and provide public space for the activities related thereto, and promote and support people, communities and local administration organizations to exercise their rights"

 

The government has decided that the mention of the wording of the original peg - the Khana Rassadorn started a constitution for the progress of the country - didn't have good value. Given the history of the subsequent 8 decades of new constitutions and military coups, I'd say the government was CORRECT in its action. Thai constitutions have NOT contributed to the progress of the country. The country has basically remained under absolute rule, just by another party.

[Chris Lawrence]

Reminds one of people power. Just another bad memory from the past.