Outcry after historic plaque goes missing

[rooster59]

Outcry after historic plaque goes missing

By THE SUNDAY NATION

 

 

THE MYSTERIOUS disappearance of a historically significant “memorial peg” marking the so-called Siamese Revolution of 1932 triggered an outcry yesterday even as authorities remained silent over who was responsible.

 

It was discovered on Friday that “Mhud Khana Ratsadon”, or the People’s Party Memorial Peg, had been replaced by a new one with altered wording.

 

The commemorative plaque was fixed to a spot at the Royal Plaza where the group’s first statement was read to announce a revolution against absolute monarchy. The group was led by Western-educated military officers and bureaucrats. 

 

A message on the peg read: “At dawn on June 24, 1932, the People’s Party on this spot gave birth to the constitution for national prosperity.”

 

Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd yesterday denied any knowledge about the removal of the 1932 Siamese Revolution peg.

He also refused to comment about the issue during a telephone interview with The Sunday Nation yesterday.

 

Police in Dusit district, where the plaque was located, said they were not sure who had removed it and were investigating. Senior officials at the Fine Arts Department and the Dusit District Office, which has jurisdiction over the area, also pleaded ignorance.

 

The new plaque’s message reads: “It is good to worship the Buddhist trinity, the state, one’s own family, and to be faithful to one’s monarch and allow oneself to be the engine that brings prosperity to the state.”

 

A Facebook page called Mhud Khana Ratsadon alerted the public on Friday that the historic brass plaque had been replaced with a new one with different wording that says nothing about the 1932 revolution, which led to the country replacing absolute monarchy with constitutional monarchy.

 

The government’s main communication means with the press – the chat room Line application – was still active but there was no explanation about the incident. 

 

Activists said the plaque’s removal was a bid by royalist conservatives to rewrite history. Certain groups of people had previously threatened to remove the peg.

 

Pro-democracy activist group New Democracy Movement (NDM) urged responsible agencies to investigate the mysterious removal of the historic peg.

 

NDM said yesterday that police as well as district office officials responsible in the area should check CCTV footage and use available resources to find the missing brass plaque.

 

It said the plaque, which marked the spot where the Khana Ratsadon or the People’s Party read its manifesto out more than 80 years ago as they successfully and bloodlessly achieved their goal of moving the country from absolute to constitutional monarchy, was public property and belonged to the people.

 

National Artist Theeraphap Lohitkul yesterday pointed out that the theft of the 1932 Siamese Revolution peg was an act of destroying historical evidence, which caused great damage to the country, and might have been aimed at wiping out memories of the Khana Ratsadon.

 

However, Theeraphap said the attempt would have the reverse effect and more people would seek and research the history of the origin of the peg and the 1932 revolution.

 

The national artist said it was a shame that the People’s Party peg had been replaced. It was an important historical evidence representing the political change in 1932.

 

Theeraphap said he did not think the plaque had been removed for safekeeping. 

 

“Such an important national property should be kept in a museum and be replaced with a mock-up,” he said. But the plaque had been replaced with another with a completely different message, he added.

 

The national artist said all historical evidence that told stories about the country’s past – whether positive or negative – should be preserved so that people of later generations would know what the country had been through.

 

He said the plaque was one tangible evidence and was historically significant. It was worth conserving for the people of later generations, he said. 

 

“Even sites where millions of people were massacred, such as the concentration camps in Germany, have been conserved. They are for the younger people to learn from and not repeat the history,” Theeraphap said.

 

Thepmontri Limpaphayorm, a historian suspected by many pro-democracy activists as being responsible for the peg’s disappearance, denied any knowledge about removal of the historical item, insisting he had only learned about the incident from news media.

 

Accusers referred to Thepmontri’s Facebook post in October, which featured a photograph of the plaque with a message that said it was looking for its owner, and told the owner to take it away by the end of the year if he or she wanted to keep it.

 

In the post, Thepmontri threatened that he and his friend would remove it or destroy it.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312369

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-16

[Raymonddiaz]

students are taught false history about Thailand for many years now and many historians know that and did nothing to reverse it.

[Sphere]

45 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Activists said the plaque’s removal was a bid by royalist conservatives to rewrite history.

 

History is written by winners.....not winners of elections, apparently. 

[AGareth2]

the wording and the date of the change are significant

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

authorities remained silent over who was responsible.

 

 

[canuckamuck]

According to this translation, the plaque suggests it is good to worship the  Buddhist trinity, the state and one's own family.

The first part is not going to be happily received by the non Buddhists. The second part is obviously a mine field (depending on the definition of state) and the third part is confusing but once again, down to a translation issue.

 

But it clearly makes no mention of the historical significance for which the plaque was initially laid. Once again, democracy is shown to be an anathema to the current power brokers.

 

[aussieinthailand]

We don't like the official history so we will change it and if you don't like the our new history then you can do as the PM say's,  go and live somewhere els...

[harada]

I don't think that you'd need too many guesses to work out who's responsible for this. 

[pentap]

Research on the 'so called' historical background of this country may yield some interesting information and possible answers?

It's surprising such an important and historical 'peg',, in a very prominent location, should disappear with no apparent knowledge, by the authority's. .


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Thechook]

So what does the new one commemorate, the 2014 coup?

[metisdead]

A nonsense post has been removed. 

[AGareth2]

34 minutes ago, pentap said:

Research on the 'so called' historical background of this country may yield some interesting information and possible answers?

It's surprising such an important and historical 'peg',, in a very prominent location, should disappear with no apparent knowledge, by the authority's. .


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

especially when the tent erected to cover the work looks like it is gaurded

[tominbkk]

That area must have guards, monitoring, etc.  The plaque couldn't have been changed without the aid of the govt, right?

[chuang]

The army replaced it...to re-write history to suit itself...

[AGareth2]

1 minute ago, chuang said:

The army replaced it...to re-write history to suit itself...

maybe

maybe best to stop there

[starky]

9 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

maybe

maybe best to stop there

I think so. You only have to read what the plaque commemerates to know who ordered that...and it aint the army

[yellowboat]

5 hours ago, Sphere said:

 

History is written by winners.....not winners of elections, apparently. 

These people are not winners, but vandals and thieves. 

[Jai Dee]

 

Symbol of revolution

April 16, 2017 01:00 
By The Sunday Nation

 

The brass plaque commemorating the 1932 coup, also known as the Siamese Revolution, was fixed on the ground in the Royal Plaza, next to the Equestrian Statue of King Chulalongkorn.

The spot was where coup leader Colonel Phraya Phahon Phonphayuhasena, who would later become Thailand’s second prime minister, read out the first statement by Khana Ratsadon (People’s Party) announcing the change of the country’s political system from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy. The message on the plaque read: “At dawn on June 24, 1932, the People’s Party on this spot gave birth to the constitution for national prosperity.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312368

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-16

 

[Jai Dee]

Plaque marking 1932 Siamese coup missing

 

 

BANGKOK • A plaque commemorating a 1932 coup in Thailand that saw absolute monarchy abolished and democracy established has gone missing, police in Bangkok said yesterday, prompting outcry from pro-democracy activists.

 

The 1932 coup, also known as the Siamese Revolution, was a crucial turning point in Thai history and ended nearly seven centuries of absolute monarchy, paving the way for political and social reforms.

 

Since then, Thailand has gone through a shaky experiment with democracy and has witnessed a succession of political protests and coups.

 

Thailand has been governed by a junta since the latest coup in 2014, which saw the military overthrow a democratically elected government.

 

The plaque, which was embedded in a square in central Bangkok, was removed and replaced with a new one which highlights the importance of the monarchy. "It is good to worship the Buddhist trinity, the state, one's own family, and to be faithful to one's monarch and allow oneself to be the engine that brings prosperity to the state," the new plaque reads.

 

Police in the Dusit district where the plaque was located said they were not sure who removed it and were investigating.

 

Read the full story from The Straits Times here.

[Jai Dee]

A sinister attempt to tamper with history

The replacement of a historic plaque on the quiet raises disturbing questions

A mirror has been held up for Thai people to look at and what is on view hits at the heart and soul of the nation.

 

Some of us may want to dismiss it as a minor incident – the mysterious removal of a historic peg that marked the start of democracy in Thailand by a revolution in 1932. The revolution changed the country’s ruling system from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.

 

The People’s Party “Memorial Plaque” (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 wording of the original plaque said: “Here, on June 24, 1932 at dawn, the Khana Rassadorn started a constitution for the progress of the country”.

 

But the new plaque 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.”

 

Social and political activists are demanding that the original plaque be returned to its place at the Royal Plaza. 

 

It is strange that the removal went undetected by local authorities. What’s even more bizarre is that none of the relevant agencies appeared to be eager to take action or to get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearance of the old plaque.

 

After all, the plaque captured the very moment the nation starts its definitive move towards democratisation. The journey has been a long, winding road. 

 

Some say we are still on this course – a country in transition – but from what to what is still unclear. We have kept going round in circles, in which military coups have become our reset button. 

 

We talk about returning the country to democracy but did we ever have democracy?

 

We had general elections but we failed to maintain meaningful institutions to promote and safeguard democracy and its values.

 

And we would be fooling ourselves if we think that the current junta – or any other set of military coup plotters – will work to lay the foundation for democracy.

 

Every time there is a coup, we come together as a nation, cross our fingers, move forward and hope for a better day.

 

We don’t seem to want to learn from the past; we just want to get over the current hurdle without looking at the long term, big picture and ask what kind of country we want to be or become? 

 

Every political conflict and coup has its story. But, sadly, few seem to be disturbed by the long-term outcome. 

 

Some comfort themselves by calling it a “transition” phase where the military will slowly fade away and democracy will be fully restored. 

 

But we have heard that many times before – a coup to save democracy;  such that it sounds like a broken record. 

 

Some of us may want to ignore it because we don’t like to get into heated debate with friends or colleagues over history, democracy and the current state of the nation. 

 

But like it or not, we are all in it together. A Constitution has just been passed – our 20th since 1932 when Siam became Thailand – and our nation is still not quite sure of the immediate future. 

 

This is not to say that we are drifting into uncharted waters. We have been there before – 20 times to be exact.

 

The ultra-royalist Mhud Khana Ratsadon should know that they can’t change the country’s history just by removing the plaque. And if they want to engage in meaningful debate about the future of the nation, they should come clean and make their case. 

 

Removing a plaque not only upsets those with opposing views; it is also a violation of the law.

 

Srisuwan Janya, secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, noted that the change of the historic plaque violated the law and Article 57 (1) of the new Constitution.

 

If the current junta and the agencies that they oversee respect the law of the land they so much cherish, they need to take action. Looking the other way in this case is essentially a position and none of us has the luxury to hide from this.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/opinion/today_editorial/30312355

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-16

 

[ddavidovsky]

Streisand effect. Who had heard of the original plaque? Now everything about how the deep state operates is made transparent.

 

Apart from that - hideous concreting job.

Edited April 16, 2017 by ddavidovsky

[AGareth2]

is this the pebble in the pond?

online petition has been started

[JAG]

28 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

is this the pebble in the pond?

online petition has been started

There are going to be a lot of pebbles in the pond, I suspect.

 

Whether a cumulative effect causes the pond to spill its banks, or whether it will be a catalyst inspired eructation (good word eh?) very much remains to be seen.

[Sydebolle]

...... Article 44? 

[Prbkk]

Trivial on one level but darkly sinister on another. The clique is so intent on turning back the clock and on rewriting history but it will not work. They take Thais for fools  and seem to believe the current situation will last indefinitely.  The crazy historian will be just another footnote in the real history of the country, together with the crazed monk and all the other nutcases.

[Becker]

9 hours ago, JAG said:

There are going to be a lot of pebbles in the pond, I suspect.

 

Whether a cumulative effect causes the pond to spill its banks, or whether it will be a catalyst inspired eructation (good word eh?) very much remains to be seen.

Eructation?? Love it! Next time I'm having a beer and accidentally release a burp, automatically triggering a scolding (fairly mild, but a scolding nonetheless) by my wife, I will tell her:

"Honey, I didn't burp, I eructed!"

[baboon]

2 hours ago, Prbkk said:

Trivial on one level but darkly sinister on another. The clique is so intent on turning back the clock and on rewriting history but it will not work. They take Thais for fools  and seem to believe the current situation will last indefinitely.  The crazy historian will be just another footnote in the real history of the country, together with the crazed monk and all the other nutcases.

I hope you are right but remember the, ahem, Good People are playing for keeps. Dislodging the constitution they voted for will take some doing. Suggesting the army should retreat to the barracks results in unfortunate circumstances and remember the safety valve is turned off. 

The people have had their chance and blown it. Again. This latest episode is nothing other than another step in their re - education. Give it a few weeks and this latest affront will be buried like all the rest before.

But never mind. Red Bull, anyone? 

[SoFarAndNear]

Wow this is very embarrassing if this was really done in silence by current government.

[ddavidovsky]

20 hours ago, JAG said:

There are going to be a lot of pebbles in the pond, I suspect.

 

Whether a cumulative effect causes the pond to spill its banks, or whether it will be a catalyst inspired eructation (good word eh?) very much remains to be seen.

I see no evidence at all that the majority of people care enough to rock the boat in the slightest. They have been cowed and mesmerised by authority for generations - they now have a subservience complex to the extent that they are apparently happy to accept the social and intellectual gulf between themselves and the shadowy ruling class as the natural order of things. They want to be led, by whomever, as long as they have a quiet life.

 

It will take decades for them to snap out of this, and there's absolutely no sign of any intelligent, charismatic leader to usher in a new political era, because that's what it will really take. In the meantime, the people are settling for stability rather than freedom. They've got the government they deserve.

[CantSpell]

3 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

I see no evidence at all that the majority of people care enough to rock the boat in the slightest. They have been cowed and mesmerised by authority for generations - they now have a subservience complex to the extent that they are apparently happy to accept the social and intellectual gulf between themselves and the shadowy ruling class as the natural order of things. They want to be led, by whomever, as long as they have a quiet life.

 

It will take decades for them to snap out of this, and there's absolutely no sign of any intelligent, charismatic leader to usher in a new political era, because that's what it will really take. In the meantime, the people are settling for stability rather than freedom. They've got the government they deserve.

It is a shame but I mostly agree with you...

But, who is to say when the pressure reach breaking point...

 

This government and the army are really pushing things really far and really fast..

Not many alternatives but it is better to be sure that things are going wrong or to be unsure about how things will go?

 

A small event but of great significance nevertheless..

 

Edit: and great opinion article from The Nation 

Edited April 17, 2017 by CantSpell

[JAG]

I see no evidence at all that the majority of people care enough to rock the boat in the slightest. They have been cowed and mesmerised by authority for generations - they now have a subservience complex to the extent that they are apparently happy to accept the social and intellectual gulf between themselves and the shadowy ruling class as the natural order of things. They want to be led, by whomever, as long as they have a quiet life.
 
It will take decades for them to snap out of this, and there's absolutely no sign of any intelligent, charismatic leader to usher in a new political era, because that's what it will really take. In the meantime, the people are settling for stability rather than freedom. They've got the government they deserve.

Hmm, I am not going to dispute much of what you say.
Many years ago (O level chemistry) I recall learning about catalysts, a particular substance ( read event) which when introduced to two or more compounds (for which I might substitute national mood) results in a sudden unexpected and often vigorous reaction.
I suspect that there will sooner or later, be such a catalyst. What and when I don't know, although I have a few ideas. It will probably come as a surprise - particularly to those "born to rule".