Today I went back, once again, to Paul Handley’s The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand’s Bhumibol Adulyadej. In the cut and thrust of the moment it can be easy to forget what has happened in decades past. I would certainly encourage any New Mandala readers with a copy of Handley’s account near to hand to turn to some of the middle chapters. This retro-extract comes from page 237.
The orchestrators were many, but the palace’s hand was everywhere [in the events of 6 October 1976], going along if not directing, all year stirring up the frenzy. The king and queen consistently interfered with the government’s attempt to establish authority and enforce the law. Most brazenly, with Red Gaur and Navapol [both righist groups of the time] at his side, Bhumibol introduced the catalyst for violence, Thanom’s return. That made it impossible for Seni [Pramoj, the Prime Minister] to calm the city. When the students protested against Thanom [Kittikachorn, a former Thai dictator], there was no attempt to muzzle the incitement to violence by people like Utharn [Queen Sirikit's cousin, Lieutenant Colonel Utharn Sanitwongs who ran a daily army radio program].
6 responses so far ↓
1 nganadeeleg // Sep 2, 2008 at 5:20 pm
This time Samak/PPP have had plenty of time & opportunity to calm things down – for whatever reason, they have chosen not to.
(my guess is Thaksin’s spin merchants have had their eye on a different prize)
2 Ladyboy // Sep 2, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Are the Red Gaur connected to the red shirts who fought PAD?
3 amberwaves // Sep 3, 2008 at 2:15 am
>Are the Red Gaur connected to the red shirts who fought PAD?
Actually, if we’re talking about linkages and historical lineage, the connection would be between the PAD’s thugs and the Red Gaur.
The Red Gaur worked in parallel with the army — especially military intelligence types in the 1973-76 period. Chamlong was active in monitoring (at the least) the left-wing and student movements. Panlop and Manit were in his close circle, though I don’t know for certain exactly what they were doing in 1976. All three are high profile PAD supporters.
4 val // Nov 3, 2008 at 3:44 am
I disagree. I believe the Red Shirts are the closest current equivalent to the Red Gaur, and the PAD to the communists, only re-case with different sets of allies.
5 Ralph Kramden // Nov 3, 2008 at 11:07 am
val: any evidence or actual thinking behind this conclusion? It would be interesting to know how you draw these conclusions. Regular correspondent jonfernquest reckons that the Red Shirts are the commies. Most of the international correspondents refer to PAD as “right wing.” Any suggestions on how to work through this seeming contradiction?
6 amberwaves // Nov 3, 2008 at 6:13 pm
The other obvious parallel is that the PAD tries to whip up its people into a pro-Royalist fury against its opponents, whom it denigrates — over and over again – as traitors.
The de-humanizing language from the PAD stage is the same as the language that was used to encourage the Red Gaur and other rightists in 1976.
Anyone who doesn’t realize that hasn’t been listening to the PAD.
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