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Democracy Monument

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SeenThat
SeenThat
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Landmark and Oxymoron

  • May 5, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by SeenThat from Tel Aviv, Israel
Landmark and Oxymoron


On my very first day in Bangkok, the Democracy Monument became the landmark signalling that I was near Khaosan Road; the first landmark I learned to recognize in this huge metropolis. A large traffic circle located roughly on the center of Thanon Ratchadamnoen Klang, at its junction with Thanon Dinso, is covered by an imposing structure which is impossible to ignore.

Oxymoron

At times,it seems to me that oxymorons are an intrinsic telltale of the Thai culture; more often than not that’s a sign that my understanding of that culture is incomplete. That’s the case with the Democracy Monument, which has a huge representation of the four branches of the Thai armed forces - army, navy, air force and police surrounding a tiny symbol of the Thai Constitution. That’s a strange representation of a democracy; but I’m running ahead...

Born in Violence

In 1932 there was a coup d'état that transformed the Siamese monarchy into the Thai constitutional monarchy. Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram (nicknamed Poh, or Phibun) led a hursh military regime that commisioned the Democracy Monument in 1939, as part of the Bangkok’s westernization process he began. The monument was intended to reshape Ratchadamnoen Road into something resembling the Champs-Élysées in Paris, creating a symbol similar to the Arc de Triomphe there.

Despite the Western style of parts of it, Ratchadamnoen is intrinsically Thai; few Westerners would recognize it as a single conceptual unit since it is technically divided into three parts, namely Ratchadamnoen Nok (outer), Ratchadamnoen Klang (middle), and Ratchadamnoen Nai (inner). Ratchadamnoen Nai starts from the Grand Palace and lies along Sanam Luang. Ratchadamnoen Klang starts from Sanam Luang and reaches the Golden Mount. Ratchadamnoen Nok connects the Golden Mount with the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall and the Dusit area.

Ratchadamnoen Road is thus a symbol of the transition from the old Siamese absolute monarchy area of the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha to the new Thai area of the Dusit Palace of the modern constitutional monarchy. The symbol has also architectural representation; the Grand Palace is traditional Thai in style, while the parts near the Dusit Palace were built in European style.

The monument is roughly halfway between Sanam Luang and the Golden Mount, symbolizing that the 1932 Constitution was intended to become the center of the young Thai democracy. Eventually it succeeded in that; the area was home to the most influential protests area against various governments.

Before that success, the place was unpopular because the widening of Ratchadamnoen to create the ceremonial boulevard involved cutting down hundreds of mahogany trees planted in the reign of King Rama V, which symbolized the monarchy and because of the eviction of many people from their homes and shops.

The Monument

Designed by Mew Aphaiwong, an architect close to the new regime, the monument was executed by Corrado Feroci an Italian sculptor who became a Thai citizen (and used the Thai name Silpa Bhirasi), executed the relief sculptures around the monument’s base. He worked also on the Victory Monument.

At the center of the traffic circle is a carved representation of the Constitution, atop two golden offering bowls placed above a round turret. The turret features six gates representing the proclaimed policies of the Phibun regime: "independence, internal peace, equality, freedom, economy and education."

The turret is surrounded by four huge wings, each one placed at a different compass direction. As stated above, the wings represent the four branches of the Thai armed forces which carried out the coup. Facing outwards from the base of two wings are fountains shaped as naga, the protective serpents of the Hindu mythology.

What day did that the coup occur? There is no need to remember that; measuring the wings height or the monument’s base radius is enough. Each measures 24 meters, symbolizing the fact the coup took place on the 24th day of certain month. Which month? The central turret is three meters high, because June is the third month of the traditional Thai calendar. Fine. Now, what year did that happen? That’s harder, because the 75 cannons surrounding the monument where taken away. How does "75" symbolizes "1932?" Simply, in the Thai Buddhist calendar, that year was 2475.

At the base of the monument are relief sculptures carrying additional messages. The relief titled "Soldiers Fighting for Democracy" shows a heroic and united armed forces battling for democracy. The one titled "Personification of the People" shows a soldier protecting the Thai people.

"Personification of Balance and Good Life" is the title of the relief representing the social ideology of the military regime. A figure representing the nation is seated in a Buddha-like posture holding a sword and a set of scales, which represent the armed forces and justice. Around it are figures representing sport, education, religion and arts. The Thai king was not represented at all, despite formally being part of the new regime.

Distortions

The idyllic reality represented in the panels is somewhat distorted. In reality, the People's Party, a coalition of civil servants, princes, and army officers, seized power while the king was on holiday, and sent him a provisional constitution to King Prajadhipok along with an ultimatum from Party leaders. On 26 June, the King met the Party leaders and refused to sign the charter; however, he signed it the following day.

In Thailand, charters have been temporary instruments preceding new constitutions that usually follow military coups. Since 1932, 17 constitutions had existed in Thailand. Coming from a country denying even one constitution to its citizens, I am impressed. Following the charter, the first Thai constitution was promulgated in December of the same year. Despite this, the regime was a de facto military dictatorship.

Present Days

Since then, the monument have served as a rallying point during several key events, more notoriously in the 1973 mass student demonstrations against a different military regime, and the 1976 protests that triggered a military coup. Many citizens were killed there in 1992 during protests against yet another a military regime. The 2008 protests of the political party supporting the monarchy ("yellow party") were centered nearby, on Ratchadamnoen Nok, while the following protests of the party supporting Thaksin Shinawatra ("red party") chose the Victory Monument for their protests.

Unpopular at its beginning, the monument have become with no doubt the central symbol of the Thai democracy and a facinating landmark of Krung Thep, the City of Angels, as Bangkok is named in Thai.

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