60 Years for the Lord of Life

Yesterday HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand made a rare public appearance during the celebration of his 60th anniversary as King of Thailand. Expressions of loyalty were great and widespread, from the streets to internet social networking sites. The King attended a Buddhist ceremony in the Royal Palace with top government officials and was given a 63 gun salute before returning to the hospital admist huge crowds of loyal Thais shouting 'long live the king'!

The occasion was an opportunity for red and yellow shirts to put aside their differences for a day and the red shirts were quick to express their loyalty and protest at the accusations made by others that their victory would imperil the Thai monarchy. That is really nothing new and I tend to think that 'they doth protest too much'. There is, after all, a reason why the red shirts are accused of disloyalty to the monarchy but the yellow shirts are not (see a short run-down on the differences here). It is worth noting that, around the world, it is the most anti-monarchy radical leftists and communists who speak with the most glowing support of the red shirts.

The red shirts, regardless of the feelings of the rank and file, are putting the monarchy in danger simply by their actions that are de-stabilizing the country. Should the situation get out of hand and lead to outright conflict it would mean that either the military puts down the reds and total power is held by a general or if the reds win it would mean that total power would be in the hands of a left-wing populist, either one of which could decide to discard the monarchy when the current king dies. Pol Pot pretended to be loyal to the King in Cambodia too but once firmly in control he abolished the monarchy. As I recently pointed out, in Mongolia the communists came to power professing loyalty to the Bogd Khan but upon his death ended the monarchy. So, no matter what most of the red-shirts in Thailand think about the monarchy, by causing chaos they are at the very least helping to create an opportunity for someone more extreme and more republican to step in, take power and destroy what has been (alongside Malaysia) the shining example of monarchial success in Southeast Asia.

The Face of the Foes in Thailand

(left: the criminal Thaksin Shinawatra, right: Head of the Privy Council Prem Tinsulanonda)

Due to the efforts of revolutionary agitators to spread confusion, it seems appropriate to be blunt about the two sides at odds in the current crisis in Thailand. Basically you have the red-shirted UDD on one side and the yellow-shirted PAD on the other. The reds are supporters of former populist PM Thaksin Shinawatra of the now-banned People's Power Party which ran on a typically vague platform of more social welfare programs and greater "democracy". More often they (and their current manifestations) have been known for what they are against; namely the royalist-dominated Thai military high command, the amount of influence of the King and aristocrats in government and of course the PAD which represents this. They have singled out Privy Council head Prem Tinsulanonda in what is widely regarded as a way to attack the King of Thailand without being subject to criminal prosecution.

General Prem, on the other hand, is widely known for his staunch support of the King and of royal rights and past royal programs. The yellow-shirted PAD whom the reds oppose is often accused of being "fascist" (by people in red shirts with "people's" and "democratic" in all their titles -go figure) since they include most of the traditional leaders of the country, aristocrats and the like, and have stated that they favor limits to absolute democracy (a good idea) in favor of a more careful selection process overseen by the monarch. The Reds naturally howl that if the changes favored by the PAD were put into effect most of the Parliament would end up being appointed by the King. Not surprisingly I see nothing frightening about that scenario. Toward this end the PAD founded the New Politics Party, essentially a new royalist party, to oppose the UDD and their allied red-shirted "For Thais Party" which also preaches populist socialism.

The UDD have been very adept at painting themselves as the righteous patriotic "good guys" but for anyone with any knowledge of southeast Asian politics or the situation in Thailand they cannot fool anyone. It is their leadership which is constantly arrested for defaming the Thai monarchy, it is they who adopt the revolutionary symbolism and use the traditional commie tactics of trying to incite the masses with promises of "democracy" and more government hand-outs while denouncing their enemies as "fascists" for favoring a greater role for the monarchy and the traditional authorities of the country. One side preaches a vague socialist populism, the other preaches royalism. For anyone from the monarchist camp it is no great problem deciding who the heroes and villains are in this unfolding drama.


ข้าวรพุทธเจ้า
เอามโนและศิรกราน
นบพระภูมิบาล บุญญะดิเรก
เอกบรมจักริน
พระสยามินทร์
พระยศยิ่งยง
เย็นศิระเพราะพระบริบาล
ผลพระคุณ ธ รักษา
ปวงประชาเป็นศุขสานต์
ขอบันดาล
ธ ประสงค์ใด
จงสฤษดิ์
ดังหวังวรหฤทัย
ดุจจะถวายชัย ชโย

Kingdom of Thailand in Turmoil

The Kingdom of Thailand is coming dangerously close to chaos in recent days and the Associated Press has reported today that the government has revoked the passport of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin came to power on a wave of populist peasant support but was ousted in a coup and later fled the country before being convicted of corruption. In recent days the "red shirts" supporting Thaksin have taken to the streets and have clashed with the more royalist "yellow shirts" who oppose him. The sitting Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, has stated that the leaders of the latest protest will be prosecuted but that he is willing to sit down and talk with Thaksin's supporters. Given the claims of dishonesty made about Thaksin's electoral rise to power I have my doubts that any new elections would be accepted as valid by either side in the red-yellow dispute. Thaksin himself has become more strident, at one point even calling for revolution. In short, Thailand could use some royal intervention.
But where is the monarch? His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, the "Lord of Life" is as revered by his people as ever and this is just the sort of occasion in the past that would have prompted him to step in, lecture the opposing parties and by immense depths of loyalty which their semi-divine monarch commands among the people bring the crisis to an end. However, the aging king has not been out in public much lately and when he has, even some time back, it was widely noticed that his age is catching up to him. In all probability he simply cannot act in the same manner as in years past and it does not bode well for the future of the Thai monarchy or the peace and order of his kingdom. Because he has been such an outstanding and beloved king the bar has been set impossibly high and many doubt the ability of his son, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, to be as successful as his father has been.
It would be hoped that Thailand and Cambodia would be examples of the benefits of monarchy to other dictatorial regimes of Southeast Asia. However, they all suffer from the same illness: revolutionary liberalism and/or communism. There are many hints of it in the political movement of Thaksin, Laos is a communist state (directed from Hanoi and with a Vietnamese garrison), Vietnam is a communist state and Cambodia has had the same pro-Viet communist Prime Minister since the current regime was born. Burma is in a class by itself. What is needed in all of these countries (and many others around the world) is a strident campaign to wipe out the revolutionary elements and, in society and education in particular, emphasize a national campaign to encourage loyalty to the monarchist principle and a religious revival to strengthen the bonds between the two institutions. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn needs to display some leadership and, in the meantime, everyone needs to support and hope for long life for King Bhumibol Adulyadej.