 |
| THAILAND It is probably safe to say that Thailand (formerly Siam) is the strongest monarchy in Asia, a fact which is encouraged by both the talent and image of the Chakri dynasty kings as well as laws against speaking disrespectfully of the monarch or his family. In truth however, many Westerners make too much of these "anti-free speech" laws. The vast majority of Thais adore their king and would never think of saying anything insulting about him. The King of Thailand sits at the top of a Hindu-Buddhist monarchy which makes him a semi-divine being, a King who is not just respected for his humanitarian work but revered as an almost religious figure. Thailand has been through many traumatic experiences in recent decades, but the monarchy has provided a firm source of unity and stability, even after becoming constitutional rather than absolute. The current King of Thailand is H.M. Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX. LAOS Only fairly recently has Laos been a unified country. The kingdoms of Laos have spent most of their history acting as a buffer state between Thailand and Vietnam. The Khun Lo dynasty was in power when France occupied the area and made the united Kingdom of Laos part of French Indochina. The original Indochinese Communist Party fathered the native revolutionary group, the Pathet-Lao, which started a guerilla war even after the Kingdom became independent. The last King of Laos, Savang Vathana, was forced to abdicate in 1975, becoming "Supreme Councillor" to the Communist regime for a short time. Later, he and his family were placed in a concentration camp where they were evidently killed some time around 1980. His grandson managed to escape to France and today is heir to the Lao throne and a leader in the exiled opposition to Laos. His name is HRH Prince Soulivong Savang, and he has claimed nothing above that which he inherited. Today Laos is still occupied by many Vietnamese troops and starvation and poverty are rampant. There is evidence though that grass-roots monarchism remains alive, with some Lao even honoring the King of Thailand in the absence of their own monarch. CAMBODIA No other country in Southeast Asia has had such an "extreme" recent history as Cambodia. After gaining independence from France, under King Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia enjoyed a period of great peace and prosperity, a time of plenty many attributed to the semi-divine guidance of their beloved flamboyant King Sihanouk. However, the American conflict in Vietnam soon spilled over and Sihanouk's policy of neutrality faltered. In 1970, while out of the country, the King was deposed by General Lon Nol, a pro-U.S. faction member. Sihanouk then gave his considerable prestige and support to the Communist Khmer Rouge under "Pol Pot". After taking power, the monarchy was abolished and the royal family kept under house arrest. A nightmarish upheval and genocide gripped Cambodia under Pol Pot, killing 2 million Cambodians before Vietnam invaded and overthrew the regime (an ally of Red China). In 1993 the UN sponsored elections which restored King Norodom Sihanouk to the throne, however, conditions remain poor and chaotic. In 2004 Sihanouk elevated his son to the throne as King Norodom Sihamoni, although he retains the role of "Great King", Cambodia having a tradition of multiple senior and junior monarchs. VIET NAM The Vietnamese have the distinction of being the only country in Southeast Asia with a Chinese rather than Indian influenced culture. Having a succession of dynasties, some of the most significant being the Ngo, Ly and two Le dynasties. The last dynasty, the Nguyen, took power in 1802 but where soon over powered by the French. the last monarch, Emperor Bao Dai, declared independence in 1945 under Japanese auspices but was soon forced to abdicate to the Communists under Ho Chi Minh, briefly holding the post of "Supreme Councillor" in his government. Restored to symbolic power in 1948 by the French, the defeat at Dien Bien Phu spelled the end of his government and he was deposed again in 1955 by Ngo Dinh Diem. He lived quietly in France, where he generally preferred to be, until his death in 1997. The current heir to the throne is Prince Imperiale Bao Long, who lives modestly in Paris and makes no claim to his traditional position. The only active pretender is a distant cousin, Nguyen Buu Chanh, who has successively given himself the titles of Sir, Prince and Prince-Regent. His primary activities have been efforts to gain legitimacy through association and "saturation" advertisement of his claim to be leader of the Nguyen dynasty. |
|