Thailand’s pro-democracy statues are disappearing – and it’s not protesters tearing them down

Political activists on Wednesday marked the anniversary of the 1932 revolt which ended the absolute monarchy in the country

While anti-racism protesters tear down statues elsewhere, Thailand has renamed or removed six monuments and statues since King Vajiralongkorn’s coronation

Reading Time:3 minutes

A policeman walks in front of Democracy Monument after anti-government activists protested in front of it to mark the anniversary of the proclamation that ended absolute monarchy in Thailand. Other statues and monuments marking this are disappearing. Photo: AP

Published: 5:00pm, 24 Jun 2020Updated: 5:00pm, 24 Jun 2020

As political activists from several groups staged peaceful protests around Thailand on Wednesday to mark the 88th anniversary of the revolution which ended the absolute monarchy in the country, it emerged that certain historical statues have been disappearing.

But they are not effigies of colonialists or slave owners torn down by protesters. Instead, Thailand’s vanishing monuments celebrated leaders of the 1932 revolt, who were once officially honoured as national heroes and symbols of democracy.

Reuters has identified at least six sites memorialising the People’s Party that led the revolution which have been removed or renamed in the past year. In most cases it is not known who took the statues down, although a military official said one was removed for new landscaping.

Two army camps named after 1932 leaders were rechristened on the orders of the office of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, according to an item published without comment in the Royal Gazette.

Thai pro-democracy activists display a mock-up of the missing 1932 Siamese Revolution plaque as they mark the anniversary of the revolt. Photo: EPA-EFE

Officials in the military, government and the palace declined to answer questions regarding the removal of statues and renaming of military camps.