Khana Ratsadon

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The Khana Ratsadon ( Thai คณะ ราษฎร , pronunciation: [kʰánáʔ râːtsàdɔːn] ; translated about People's Party , English People's Party ), also known as sponsors ( ผู้ ก่อการ , Phu Ko Kan), was a group of military, intellectuals and state officials in Thailand (then Siam ), who stood up against absolutism and for a constitutional monarchy. Contrary to what the name suggests, it was more of an elitist circle than a movement rooted in the people. In 1932 she undertook a non-violent coup d'état ("Siamese Revolution") , which brought the country from absolute to constitutional monarchy. Soon afterwards, the People's Party split up into various rival factions and groups. Its members dominated political life in the country until the 1950s. It produced six prime ministers.

Surname

When the Khana Ratsadon was founded, there were no political parties in the actual sense of the word in Thailand, nor was there an established Thai term for 'party'. Khana can mean "(a specific) group", "organization", "team", "crew", "committee" or "council"; ratsadon means "people" (in the sense of population of a country) or "(totality of) citizens". In contrast, parties in the modern sense are called phak in Thai . Alternatively, the members of the Khana Ratsadon are also called Phu ko kan plian plaeng kan pokkhrong ("initiators of the change of government") or just Phu ko kan ("initiators" or "sponsors").

founding

The People's Party was founded in February 1927 in the Rue du Sommerand in Paris by seven cadets and students with the aim of bringing about political change in Siam. During a five-day conference they worked out a clear and coherent plan so as not to repeat the mistake of the failed palace revolt of 1912. This group included:

  • Prayun Phamonmontri (* 1897), son of a diplomat, former army officer (first lieutenant of the royal guard), political student and traveler
  • Pridi Phanomyong (* 1900; later Luang Praditmanutham), law doctoral student at the University of Paris (Sorbonne)
  • Plaek Khittasangkha (Thai: แปลก ขี ต ตะ สั ง คะ , * 1897; later Luang Phibunsongkhram), lieutenant in the artillery, student at the French artillery school in Fontainebleau
  • Charun Singhaseni (Thai: จรูญ สิงห เสนี , * 1898; later Luang Siriratchamaitri), Embassy Secretary at the Thai Embassy in Paris
  • Tua Laphanukrom (Thai: ตั้ ว ล พา นุ กรม ; * 1898), PhD student in chemistry at the University of Bern
  • Thatsanai Mitphakdi (Thai: ทัศ นัย มิตร ภักดี , * 1899; later Luang Thatsanainiyomsuek), cavalry lieutenant and student at the French cavalry school
  • Naep Phahonyothin (Thai: แนบ พหลโยธิน ), nephew of Phot Phahonyothin , student in England

Pridi became president of the group.

Planning the 1932 coup

The plan was based on the realization that the rural population of Siam was either too illiterate or too uninterested in political issues to prepare for a revolution or a mass uprising. The well-being of the middle class in Bangkok depended primarily on the patronage of the nobility and the royal family. Thus, a change in the political situation in the country was only one of the group coup the military possible.

Several members of the group returned to Siam in the late 1920s and secretly made contact with like-minded people. Pridi became a teacher at Chulalongkorn University , where he received the support of about 50 civilians and officials. Phibunsongkhram gathered members of the army around them. At the end of 1931 the party had 102 members, with two wings: one military and one civil. The military wing was further divided into three sub-areas: (1) the senior officers, (2) the junior officers and (3) the navy .

The four wings or factions were headed by four men:

The six principles

Six goals were pursued for the future of the country, later called the Six Principles ( หลัก 6 ประการ ของ คณะ ราษฎร ). They read:

  1. Preserving the sovereignty of the people,
  2. Maintaining national security,
  3. Maintaining the people's economic development in line with the objectives of the Siamese Economic Plan,
  4. Protection of the principle of "equality before the law",
  5. Protection of the rights and freedom of the people, provided that none of the above principles are violated,
  6. Providing general education to every citizen.

The end

The coup d'état in Siam in 1932 was successful and in 1933 the country had been transformed from an absolute monarchy into a one-party state. The People's Party itself was short-lived, too many factions from different directions were united in it. Nevertheless, even after its dissolution, 6 Prime Ministers came from the People's Party in the following 20 years .

Members of the People's Party (Khana Ratsadon)

“Four Musketeers”: Phraya Song , Phraya Phahon , Phraya Ritthi and Phra Prasan
Two of the sponsors: Thawan Thamrongnawasawat and Khuang Aphaiwong .

According to Prayun Phamonmontri , among the sponsors were 34 army officers, 19 navy and 45 civilians.

Military wing

High officers

The founders of the People's Party were able to win over four high army officers for their cause. These were known as the "Four Musketeers" ( ทหาร เสือ , thahan suea , literally translated as "tiger soldiers").

Young officers

The group of young army officers consisted of four majors, as well as a number of captains and lieutenants, including:

  • Major Luang Phibunsongkhram (Plaek Khittasangkha)
  • Major Luang Sarityutthasin (Phian Phiriyayothin)
  • Major Luang Amnuaisongkhram (Thom Kesakomon)
  • Major Luang Wichakkonlayut (Sian Susin)
  • Captain Luang Katsongkhram (Thian Kengradomying)
  • Captain Luang Kriangsakphichit (Khuan Chittakhun)
  • Captain Luang Thatsanainiyomsuek (Thatsanai Mitphakdi)
  • Captain Luang Seriroengrit (Charun Rattanakun)
  • Captain Luang Adundetcharat (Bat Phuengphrakhun)

marine

The most notable representatives of the People's Party in the Navy were:

Civil wing

The civilian wing included, among others:

literature

  • Frank C. Darling: Political parties in Thailand. In: Pacific Affairs , Vol. 44, No. 2 (Summer 1971), pp. 228-241.
  • Lydia Seibel: The Roots of the Thai Party Democracy (1868-1935). Dissertation, University of Münster 2009, in particular Section 6.1. The Khana Ratsadòn (People's Party) , pp. 155–169.
  • Michael Steinmetz: Siam in 2475 (1932). The end of the absolute monarchy. Southeast Asia Working Papers, Humboldt University, Berlin 2000.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Seidel, p. 97
  2. ↑ Steinmetz: Siam in the year 2475. 2000, p. 45.
  3. ^ Federico Ferrara: The Political Development of Modern Thailand. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2015, p. 5.

See also