Seni Pramoj

Seni Pramoj (1944)

Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj ( Thai หม่อมราชวงศ์ เสนีย์ ปราโมช , RTGS Mom Ratchawong Seni Pramot [ sěːniː praːmôːt ]; * May 20, 1905 in Bangkok ; † July 28, 1997 ibid) was a Thai lawyer , diplomat and politician . As Thai ambassador to the United States , he washead of the Seri Thai movement during World War II , which fought against Thailand's collaboration with Japan . Seni was Prime Minister of Thailand three times briefly: from September 1945 to January 1946, from February to March 1975 and from April to October 1976. From 1968 to 1979 he was chairman of the Democratic Party of Thailand.

life and career

family

Seni Pramoj with his family (1957 or earlier)

Seni Pramoj was the son of Prince Kamrob, his mother was Mom Daeng Bunnag . Kukrit Pramoj was his brother. He was a great-grandson of King Rama II (Phra Phuttaloetla) . His title Mom Rajawongse reflects his descent from the royal family.

He married Usana Salikupt in 1931. The two had two sons - Seri (1933–1994; politician) and Usni (1934–2017: military lawyer, manager of the crown property, member of the Privy Council, violinist and composer) and a daughter, Niyana (* 1941).

Education and Justice Career

Seni received his education at the Rajini School, the Assumption College , the Debsirin School and the Suankularb Wittayalai School . He then went to Britain , where he continued his studies at Trent College in Nottingham on and 1925-1928 Worcester College of Oxford University continued. Here he made his bachelor's degree in law . He then prepared for a year for the bar exam ( barrister ) at the London Bar Association Gray's Inn , which he passed with the highest grade (first-class honors) and for which he received a price of 300 guineas .

After returning to Thailand, he attended the Thai Bar Association School. After six months of training at the country's Supreme Court, he became a civil judge. He was later appointed as a judge to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.

Ambassador to the USA and Seri Thai

Seni was later appointed to the State Department and sent as ambassador to the United States in June 1940 . During the Second World War, he had to represent the authoritarian government of Plaek Phibunsongkhrams , which sympathized with the Axis powers , but initially remained officially neutral. When Japan threatened to invade Thailand in December 1941, however, the Thai government was forced to declare war on the United States and Great Britain. Seni refused, however, to deliver the declaration of war to the USA because he considered it to be invalid because Pridi Phanomyong had not signed it . At that time, Pridi was one of the three councils of regency that represented the underage King Ananda Mahidol as head of state.

From Washington, Seni built the Seri Thai movement ("Free Thailand"), which fought against the de facto Japanese occupation of Thailand and supported the Allies. Members of the Seri Thai movement worked for the American foreign intelligence service OSS (forerunner of the CIA). Some could also be parachuted over Thailand to spy, sabotage and fight against the Japanese on behalf of the Allies.

Government 1945–46

After the war ended, Seni returned to Thailand and was appointed prime minister on September 17, 1945. At the age of 40, he was the youngest prime minister in Thai history to date. His brief reign was marked by an effort to maintain Thailand's independence. The USA took the position that Thailand had not been an opponent of the war (since Seni had not formally delivered the declaration of war and his Seri Thai movement had fought on the side of the Allies). Great Britain saw it differently, demanded high reparations and threatened to make Thailand a protectorate . Seni campaigned for a law against war crimes to be passed. On this basis, suspected Thai war criminals - above all the former dictator Plaek Phibunsongkhram - could be brought to justice in their own country instead of being extradited to the Allies. However, the War Crimes Act was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court because it violated the non-retroactivity rule.

On January 31, 1946, Khuang Aphaiwong Seni succeeded as head of government. Seni and Khuang were instrumental in founding the conservative-royalist Democratic Party in April 1946 . Khuang became the party's first chairman and Seni general secretary.

In the 1950s Seni played bass and later trombone in the jazz band of the young King Bhumibol Adulyadej , who played saxophone and clarinet. He wrote the lyrics to songs that the king composed and arranged the compositions for band or orchestra.

Seni represented the Thai government in the proceedings to settle the border dispute with Cambodia before the International Court of Justice in The Hague (1958–1962). However, Thailand failed and the court awarded the temple to Cambodia.

Party leadership and government 1975–76

When the 1968 constitution allowed political parties again, Seni succeeded Khuang Aphaiwong as chairman of the Democratic Party . At that time she was the most important opponent of the military junta of Thanom Kittikachorn and Praphas Charusathien . Seni became prime minister after the Democratic election in January 1975. His multi-party coalition broke up in March, however, and parliament expressed its distrust. Subsequently, his brother Kukrit, who led the Social Action Party , formed a coalition government that lasted until April 1976.

After the Democratic Party was again the strongest force in new elections, Seni Pramoj took over leadership again. During his last reign, students at Thammasat University sparked unrest after Thanom Kittikachorn, a military dictator who was disempowered and exiled in 1973, returned to Thailand. The unrest was bloodily suppressed on October 6, 1976 ( massacre at Thammasat University ). That same evening, the military, led by Admiral Sangad Chaloryu, carried out a coup d'état . After his retirement from office, Seni gave up the chairmanship of the Democratic Party in 1979 and retired into private life.

Seni Pramoj died on July 28, 1997 in Bangkok General Hospital.

literature

• David van Praagh: Thailand's Struggle for Democracy. The Life and Times of MR Seni Pramoj. Holmes & Meier, New York / London 1996.

Web links

• Kurzbiografie (English)
• History of Thai Prime Ministers

Individual evidence

1. ^ David van Praagh: Thailand's Struggle for Democracy. The Life and Times of MR Seni Pramoj. Holmes & Meier, New York / London 1996, p. 44.
2. ^ David van Praagh: Thailand's Struggle for Democracy. The Life and Times of MR Seni Pramoj. Holmes & Meier, New York / London 1996, p. 35.
3. ^ David van Praagh: Thailand's Struggle for Democracy. The Life and Times of MR Seni Pramoj. Holmes & Meier, New York / London 1996, p. 118.
4. ^ Paul M. Handley: The King Never Smiles. A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej. Yale University Press, New Haven 2006, ISBN 0-300-10682-3 , p. 160.
5. ↑ Michael Freeman: Cambodia. Reaction Books, London 2004, p. 52.

Note on Thai names : This article addresses people by their first name.