Thai communists 'loved the King'

Thai communists 'loved the King'

Communists now claim the monarch helped comrades who fled into jungle with development

Sahai (Comrade) Nom: Wants to dispel 'communist myth'
Sahai (Comrade) Nom: Wants to dispel 'communist myth'

The image of communists being anti-establishment and seeking to overthrow the monarchy may be a cliche of history, but in Thailand, members of the local communist movement say that was never the case.

In a meeting organised by the military in which reporters were invited to meet two ex-comrades, known locally as sahai, or comrade, in Nan province, the former Thai Communists said their movement was misunderstood; they rejected the idea that its members ever had an inclination to topple the monarchy, saying they have always loved His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and cherished his kindness.

The accusation that Thailand's communists were anti-monarchy goes back more than 40 years when the anti-government movement was accused by the dictatorship government at the time of trying to topple the monarchy.

"That was just slander against us," Sahai Nom Phongprasoet told the Bangkok Post.

"It held not even a bit of truth."

The 73-year-old comrade was recalling the accusation made during the throes of a fierce battle between the now-defunct Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) and the then ruling government. The CPT needed to keep their ideology alive while state authorities were assigned to weed it out. Many tactics were used by the two sides to achieve their goals.

Armed cadre of the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT), from a Super-8mm film photo taken in the late 1970s. (Screet grab from YouTube)

Sahai Nom was former secretary-general for CPT's People's Liberation Army. He, along with other CPT co-leaders, had to protect their stronghold in the northern province of Nan, which was under the control of the communists.

At that time, the CPT, which was supported by thousands of students who had escaped from the government during the Oct 6, 1976 massacre, had only one aim, which was to overthrow the dictatorship and pave the way for "our version of democracy", he said.

The government manipulated this rhetoric to paint a cruel picture of the CPT, he said.

The truth was, Sahai Nom argued, the CPT was bound by a strict rule prohibiting its members from causing harm to the monarchy.

"Those [CPT supporters] who used offensive words against the monarchy were punished in a three-day [attitude-adjusting] session," he said.

During the fight between the CPT and the then government, His Majesty the late King visited Nan 22 times to visit injured soldiers. Their conflict ended when the Prime Minister's 66/23 Order, issued in 1980 by the Prem Tinsulanonda government, encouraged CPT members and supporters to reintegrate into the society and join a national development programme.

While the government allocated land to former comrades, His Majesty the late King launched many development initiatives to help them earn a living so that they could stand on their feet in the long term.

The King's help is seen clearly at Nam Ri and Nam Chang creeks in Nan's Thung Chang district where comrades were given useful advice on how to grow coffee beans, which later led to the creation of the famous coffee brand "Phu Phayak".

"We can say we love nai luang (His Majesty the late King) and we love him very much," Sahai Nom said.

"Without nai luang, we would have had no idea of the way the fight would end," he added.

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