Pridi Phanomyong
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Pridi Phanomyong (May 11, 1900 - May 2, 1983) was a Thai politician. He was a former Prime Minister and Senior Statesman of Thailand, and named one of the world great personalities of the century by the UNESCO in 2000.
Biography
Early life
Pridi Phanomyong was born in 1900 to a wealthy part Chinese farming family in Ayutthaya. He studied law at the University of Paris, and returned to Siam in 1927 to work in the Ministry of Justice. He quickly rose through the ranks, and was granted the honourary royal title of Luang Praditmanutham.People's Party
On June 24 1932, the People's Party, with Pridi as the leader of the civilian faction, carried out a lightning coup d'etat that abruptly ended 150 years of absolute monarchy under the Chakri Dynasty.In 1933, Pridi went into voluntary exile when his radical economic plans, which called for the nationalisation of land and labour, were violently rejected by many as extreme and allegedly communist in nature.
Statesman
He returned in 1934 to found Thammasat University, before assuming the posts of Minister of the Interior the same year, Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1937, and Minister of Finance in 1938.Although he had been friends with prime minister Phibunsongkhram during the early days of the People's Party, the two had fallen out during the following years. Pridi was violently anti-Japanese as well as a socialist, and therefore opposed many of Phibun's militaristic policies.
Free Thai movement
On 8 December, 1941, Imperial Japan launched its attacks on Southeast Asia and the Allied possessions in the region, which resulted in the full development of the Pacific War. This included several amphibious landings at Thailand, such as the Battle of Prachuab Khirikhan, the Thai government quickly agreed to let the Japanese pass through and utilise its military bases in order to strike other Allied possessions in the region, including commencing the Battle of Malaya.Pridi refused to sign the declaration of war against Britain and the United States in 1942 and, as a result, was effectively demoted by Phibun to take on the figurehead role of Regent. In this capacity, Pridi built up the anti-Japanese underground Free Thai Movement ("Seri Thai") network in Thailand. Codenamed "Ruth", he established contact with the Allies and Seni Pramoj's parallel organisation based in the United States. As the war progressed and the fortunes of the Japanese had turned, public dissatisfaction grew and Phibun was forced to resign as prime minister in 1944.
Khuang Abhaiwongse, the liberal lawyer and a member of the Seri Thai, was chosen to be prime minister due to "his ability to dissemble with the Japanese" to shield the growing Seri Thai movement while at the same time to improve surface relations with the Japanese.
With the end of the war and the Japanese surrender, the Seri Thai-dominated government immediately acted to "restore the pre-war status quo". As regent, Pridi termed "the declaration of war illegal and null, and void, and repudiated all agreements made with Japan by Phibun".
When he visited Bangkok in 1945, Lord Mountbatten, the Supreme Commander, South East Asia, recorded a tribute to Pridi in which he said that there had existed a unique situation wherein "the Supreme Allied Commander was exchanging vital military plans with the Head of a State technically at war with us".
Post-war years
Pridi retired from the regency when the King returned in December 1945, and was formally named Senior Statesman (Ratthaburut Awuso), and subsequently served as a respected advisor to the post-war, civilian governments under Tawee Boonyaket and Seni Pramoj.In March 1946, Khuang, who had earlier been elected Prime Minister in January, resigned, and Pridi took the Premiership in an attempt to stabilise the political situation which was spiralling out of control. It was during the first months of the Pridi government that the war crimes trial against Phibun was dismissed on a legal technicality.
On June 9 1946, the young King Ananda Mahidol was found shot dead in his bed. A government commission, which included American and British doctors, reported that the king had probably been assassinated. Pridi was quickly associated with alleged anti-royalist sentiments and was held responsible for the King's death by much of the public. Rumours were spread by his opponents that Pridi was part of a conspiracy involved in the regicide, and that he had plans to turn Thailand into a republic. Pridi resigned in August, resumed his status of Senior Statesmen, and left on a world tour, visiting Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek and US-President Truman along the way.
On November 8 1947, army troops seized various government installations in Bangkok. The coup, led by Lieutenant General Phin Choonhavan and Colonel Luang Katsongkhram, ousted Luang Thamrong's government. It marked the return to power of Phibun.
At the same time, armoured cars arrived in front of Pridi's riverside residence. However, when the troops entered, they found that Pridi had already escaped.
Pridi spent a week hiding with the Navy at Admiral Sindhu Songkhramchai's headquarters. On November 20, the senior statesman was spirited out of the country by British and American agents to Singapore.
Permanent exile
Pridi secretly returned in 1949 in order to stage a pro-democracy coup d'etat against Phibun's dictatorship. When it failed, Pridi left for China, never to return to Thailand.Pridi died on May 2 1983, at his Antony Home in the suburbs of Paris.
On 30 October 1999 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) included Pridi Phanomyong's name in the calendar of Anniversaries of Great Personalities and Historic Events Calendar as a belated tribute to not so much his achievements, but his ideals and character integrity.
Further reading
- Pridi by Pridi: Selected Writings on Life, Politics, and Economy, Pridi Phanomyong, ISBN 9747551357
- [Pridi Banomyong, Senior Statesman Commemorative Homepage]
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