The word on Pridi

Pridi Banomyong penned several titles and inspired many more. This year will see a-literal-outpouring of words

Stories By Outlook Reporters

08 May 2000

Fourteen years ago, Pridi Banomyong's ashes were returned and scattered over the Gulf of Thailand-a final homecoming for a farmer's son who was also one of the 20th century's greatest leaders.

A revolutionist who transformed the absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy, Pridi was not merely an accomplished politician but also a compassionate leader who used the law of the land to protect the rights of the poor and underprivileged.

Thanks to the Free Thai Movement (which sided with the Allies), led by Pridi, Thailand was spared many difficulties after World War Two-but Pridi was not.

Besieged by ill-intentioned rumours that he was a communist and the assassin of King Rama VIII, Pridi was forced to leave the country in 1949. The charges became shackles and Pridi would never return to his motherland. In 1983, he died peacefully of heart failure in his study in Paris.

This week, a series of activities commemorating the centennial anniversary of the senior statesman's birth will be held-a tribute long overdue, and paid at last.

Pridi once said, in an address to Thai students, that it was possible that the truth about the regicide charge might not come out during his lifetime. But history, he said, did not end with the life of one person or one race.

"History keeps rolling on into the future without an end. I will leave it to you and members of future generations who wish to see the truth to find the answer."

A statesman Pridi once was, and a deeply revered statesman he will always be, a son Thailand can always be proud of.

He may not reach the status of the century's greatest writers, literary-wise, but Pridi Banomyong made a deep impact on the world of Thai intellectuals through his personal works and as a source of inspiration for many others.

One of his books, The Transience of Society, is considered a must-read for all Thais. A substantial stock of work-penned by poets, playwrights, academics, writers, even the late Supreme Patriarch-have steadily come out, shedding light on the man, his life, tragic demise, and vision.

A project is currently under way to assemble this body of work and disseminate it to the public.

Santisukh Sophonsiri, the book project's editor, said over 20 volumes have so far been launched (see list in the accompanying box). Altogether, he plans to release about 50 books by the end of this year.

Considering Pridi's vast repertoire of experience-from politics to economics to Buddhism-the nature of this anthology is understandably multi-faceted. A few were written by the statesman himself, while others are treatises by scholars from various fields.

As most of the works cater to serious readers, the programme thus commissioned a few more books specifically for younger generations.

Sudjai Bhomkoed, a member of the project's editorial board, believes it is necessary for children at an impressionable age to have a good role model to look up to.

"For the youth-oriented category, we already published a tale, Rue kab Rua, (A Craft or a Hedge?) written by Thepsiri Suksopha. Next will be a cartoon version of Acharn Pridi's life, scheduled to come out soon.

"The title that has particular appeal to me is a memoir by one of Acharn Pridi's children, narrating the Banomyongs' life in exile. Here, you will learn about Pridi's role as a father who kept up the spirits of his children in times of difficulty. He repeatedly taught his children to think more about how to help society rather than brood over their own miseries."

Editor Santisukh Sophonsiri, interestingly enough, considers Pridi's often-cited National Economic Policy as his favourite work.

"Acharn Pridi succinctly pushed forward his belief in a social welfare system, explaining why we must help one another, that wealth may not have anything to do with a person's virtues, nor will it be everlasting. This economic ideology fit well with Buddhadasa Bhikkhu's concepts of socialism based on Dhamma.

"This book also reveals an ingenious application of Buddhism to serve society, not just personal liberation. Unlike mainstream explanations, Pridi said we don't have to wait for thousands of years for the age of Araya Mettaya (everlasting prosperity)-it could be realised now if we worked together."In the international arena, Pridi also aptly adapted Buddhism to propagate peace. The most notable example is The King of the White Elephant, which Pridi wrote and turned into a film, which also contained the country's first English soundtrack.

"It was first screened at Sala Chalerm Krung Theatre, and later in Singapore- quite a sensation back then," said Mr Santisukh.

"True, the quality may not be on par with other literary masterpieces, but considering a politician could produce such a work, and talking about peace in the midst of the great war, that's pretty impressive, I think."Pridi's educational background-he spent a number of years studying in France-has led others to assume his political ideology was a product of Western thinking. Mr Santisukh disagrees. In Pridi Banomyong and the Thai Mode of Intellectual Creativity, a lot of evidence indicates the young Pridi had demonstrated his yearning for equality for all right from his youth in the Kingdom of Siam. Pridi was only 19 when he successfully intervened in a case in which a civilian was charged with destruction of royal property. Mr Santisukh, a well-respected Buddhist scholar himself, added that the culture of democracy has long been part and parcel of Buddhism and the Thai way of life. Take, for example, the tradition of rural villagers voting for their own temple abbot, or the systematic rotation of labour to help one another during harvesting season. Pridi, as a farmer's son, would have long witnessed democratic rural life, and state suppression, as he grew up in Ayutthaya, his hometown and also the rice belt of Thailand.

Mrs Sudjai said the more she has researched Pridi's works, the greater her remorse has been-until recently, Pridi was a figure shrouded in a mist of accusations, be they the regicide charge, or that of communist inclinations.

Would Thailand have seen its greater days were Pridi able to implement his visionary ideas? In an interview he gave in exile, the statesman conceded his lack of experience when in power. Understanding of the treacherous world of politics, however, only came when he was pushed out from the seat of authority, forever.

But there is still more Thai society could learn from the man. Mr Santisukh cited several ideas Pridi proposed years ago. Many are starting to materialise, such as the election of the senate, decentralisation of administration, and a social insurance system.

Perhaps a mistake could be rectified. And what better way to pay tribute to the man behind all these visionary ideas, than putting them in print-to last for generations to come?