I must confess that I am bemused over the question concerning the legal ownership of Victory Monument raised by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
The agency has recently performed cleaning work on the monument, which is located where three roads -- Phaya Thai, Ratchawithi and Phahon Yothin -- have intersected for the past seven decades. The monument was built in 1942 to honour the war heroes, including soldiers, police, and civilians killed during the Franco-Thai War over disputed territories in French Indochina between 1940-1941.
So, it is a hilarious surprise that state agencies are clueless regarding who is legally responsible for the monument.
Anchalee Kongrut writes about the environment in the Life section, Bangkok Post.
The BMA thinks it's necessary to know which agencies "own" the monument as it wants to do landscaping work on the monument along with other memorials.
The plan must be a follow-up to its efforts in redeveloping the Wong Wian Yai roundabout in Thon Buri, which features the King Taksin Monument. At this site, the BMA constructed an underground walkway so that people can safely access the monument. As a result, the roundabout has turned lively as people come to jog or take part in aerobics dances.
The BMA also wants to build an underground walkway to Victory Monument. But it first has to clear up the ownership issue, otherwise work can never begin. Without legal ownership or a permit to carry out work from the legal owner, the City Council may not approve a budget.
And it's not easy to get an answer to this question. Related state agencies, including the Treasury Department, the War Veterans Organisation (WVO), and even the Fine Arts Department (FAD) which are authorised to give stamps of approval, said they had no idea who owned Victory Monument.
If no agencies make an ownership claim, the site will become public property, and the BMA, according to city administration laws, will be authorised to use its money to redevelop the site. The BMA has now started the process of attaining legal caretaker status for Victory Monument and its surrounding area.
In my opinion, the BMA's initiative to re-landscape Victory Monument deserves public support. But the important question is, how will it treat this space and other similar memorial sites?
Of course, Victory Monument is a national treasure and an architectural gem. In terms of history, it speaks volumes about the attempts made by a small country to fight a colonial power.
This fact makes it a pity that the monument has been entirely cut off from the public. Currently, it has no active role in civic life and public space. The majestic monument, with a splendid design and sculpting work, simply serves as a reminder to BTS riders that it's almost time to get off. It also serves as a big commuter junction where several buses pass. Some photographers also use the area as a site to shoot commercials.
What a pity! The location of this monument is prime real estate, surrounded by hospitals, schools, and universities but it has become an abandoned place, standing there for nothing. The fences keep people away and the grey monolithic structure is encircled by layers of traffic lanes. Moreover, relatives of war veterans have complained of the risks they face when they try to cross the road to place flowers at the site, especially during War Veterans Day on Feb 3.
In my view, this monument should be made more accessible. And I hope the BMA's planned underground walkway provides the necessary access so the site will become livelier. The space around it can also be converted into a garden allowing people to take shelter from the traffic mayhem. Last but not least, the site can also serve as an art installation which would allow the monument to play a bigger role in people's lives.
It turns out that Victory Monument is not the only unclaimed monument in the capital as 14 others are in the same boat. Among them are the King Rama VI Memorial Monument, in front of Lumpini Park, the relatively unknown "Anussavaree Moo" or Pig Monument near the Interior Ministry, and the July 22 roundabout with fountain in Yaowarat Chinatown, which is my favourite monument.
For me, these monument sites are regrettably underused and underdeveloped. Of course, the BMA cleaners have done a superb and spick-and-span job. Yet, the BMA has done little to turn them into civic spaces to improve the communities around them.
The good news is that the 14 monuments will be handed to the BMA. The Fine Arts Department earlier this year already transferred legal ownership of picturesque bridges and infrastructure.