Thai Nationalism and the Catholic Experience, 1909-47 Apisake Monthienvichienchai A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of London School of Oriental and African Studies 2009 ProQuest Number: 10673176 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10673176 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Abstract This thesis examines the development of the Mission of Siam during the period 1909-47, when it was still being administered by the French missionary order, the Missions Etrangeres de Paris (M.E.P.). Under the leadership of Vicar-Apostolic Rene Perros, the Mission of Siam expanded its missionary efforts for the first time to the north of Thailand and strengthened its reputation and networks in local society through the construction, upgrade, and maintenance of social works such as clinics, hospitals, and schools. However, problems were also encountered. The Mission was badly affected by the economic depression of the 1930s, while some of its administrative practices, in particular the ceding of jurisdiction over the northeast of Thailand to the Mission of Laos, aggravated tensions between the missionaries, the government, and elements of the local community. The thesis also examines the concurrent development and effects of Thai nationalism during the period 1909-47 on the Mission of Siam. Concepts of Thai national identity underwent major transformations during this period, and its effects on the Church were unpredictable. As the first Pibul government geared itself to seize former Siamese territories from French Indochina, anti-French rhetoric reached its height. At the same time, the move to make Buddhism a sine qua non of Thai identity was made. Together, the two factors unleashed a wave of persecution on the Thai Catholic population from 1940-45. Yet, the inconsistencies of the persecution suggest that there was more at stake than just nationalist pride; ulterior local political and economic motives, along with pre-existing tensions between the Catholic and non-Catholic communities also played a part in prolonging the persecutions. For the Church, the persecution of the 1940s gave it eight martyrs and accelerated the handover of the Missions to the local clergy, thereby spelling the formal end of the Mission. Meanwhile, the state was left, once again, to grapple with what it meant to be a Thai and the consequences of a violated Constitution; consequences that echo, arguably, down to the present day. Acknowledgements Love takes up where Imowledge leaves off. St. Thomas Aquinas The research presented in this thesis would have been unable to overcome what seemed, at times, to be impossible odds without the kindness and co-operation of many people and institutions, both inside and outside the Catholic Church, for which I am eternally grateful. First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Ian Brown of the School of Oriental and African Studies (S.O.A.S.), without whom this project would never have taken off. I would not be exaggerating when I write that I was truly lucky to have Ian as my supervisor. Few professors, I believe, have the right combination of inclination and bravery to supervise this ultra-specialised topic, but Ian has done so brilliantly. His comments were always to the point and incisive, while his humour and ability to tolerate my rather idiosyncratic working style is rare in a world accelerating towards constant, bureaucratic assessments. Equally, the project would have been impossible without the co-operation of many people in Bangkok, Sakon Nakhon, London, and Paris. Among those in Bangkok, I am most grateful to His Eminence, Cardinal Michael Meechai Kitbunchu, Archbishop of Bangkok, for granting me permission to have unlimited access at the Bangkok Archdiocese Archives, where the majority of my research took place. I am also indebted to Fr. Surachai Srichumphan, Secretary to the Archbishop of Bangkok, for making the cardinal’s permission a reality as well as for his insight in the early formulation of my ideas and for his help in reviewing the final drafts of this thesis. I would also like to thank Ms. Pissamai Traithatri, Ms. Sukanya Hempomvisarn, and Ms. Preeyaporn Athithanyakul of the Bangkok Archdiocese Archives for their daily invaluable help during my research in Bangkok. I would also like to thank Fr. Bruno Arens (O.M.I.) for his assistance during the initial discussions of this project, as well as for providing some valuable background material from his own collection. In Sakon Nakhon, I am most grateful to His Excellency, the Most Reverend Louis Chamnien Santisukniran, Archbishop of Tharae-Nongsaeng, for his permission to access the beatification documents of the Seven Martyrs. I would also like to thank Fr. Prayoon Pongpit for his expeditious “rediscovery” of their existence, as well as the other long-lost relics of the Songkhon martyrs. In Paris, I am indebted to Fr. Gerard Moussay and Ms. Brigitte Appavou of the Missions Etrangeres de Paris Archives for their permission to access the archives and for their facilitation of my research. I would also like to thank Sr. Stella Sanz (R.A.) and the Parisian Sisters of the Assumption for their help in finding me accommodation during my research in Paris and for their kind hospitality over a particularly frigid French Easter. I am also grateful to Sgt. Parinya Chinnapha, Administrative Sergeant of the Office of the Defence Attache of the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris, and his family for their warm, Thai hospitality during my stay in Paris. Returning to England, I would like to thank the academic staff at S.O.A.S., in particular, Dr. William Clarence-Smith, Dr. Michael Chamey, Dr. Angus Lockyer, and Dr. Tom McCaskie, for their input during the early stages of this work, as well vi as the library staff at S.O.A.S for their constant support throughout my research. I am also grateful to Dr. Marina Frasca-Spada of St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge University for her moral support. Over the course of the last three years, I have also received tremendous spiritual and material support from a number of sources in Bangkok. First, I would like to thank Dr. Chulakasem Chinnapha, rector of St. John’s University, Bangkok, for agreeing to finance this project and act as my guarantor. I am also indebted to the late Ajam Samai Chinnapha, the former Chancellor of St. John’s University and a pioneer of private Catholic education in Thailand. It would be fair to say that the legacy of education he built and left behind has allowed many Catholics and non- Catholics alike to obtain opportunities that they may never otherwise have had, myself included. Finally, I would like to thank Sr. Rosa Medina and the Sisters of the Assumption in Bangkok for their constant songs and prayers for the success of this project. Their prayers have now become reality. Last, but by no means least, I would like to thank my long-suffering parents for generously supporting my work and trusting that I was working hard when (often) it seemed I was not. Even with the bountiful help from so many quarters, this work will not be devoid of inadequacies and errors. Of course, all of these are my own. 21 May, A.D. 2009 Feast of the Ascension vii Table of Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv List of Charts and Tables ix List of Abbreviations x Notes on Thai transliteration and names xi Notes on Thai Titles xiii I: Introduction 1 Historical Background of Thailand, 1238-1947 12 Nation, Religion, Monarchy, Constitution and Dictatorship 21 What is a Mission? 41 Literature Review 45 Research Issues 51 Primary Sources 54 II: Historical Background of the Church in Siam, 1544-1939 60 The Church in Siam, 1544-1909 60 The First Missionaries and Court Politics, 1544-1767 62 Restoration, Renewal and Growth, 1767-1899 68 The Calm Before the Storm, 1909-39 73 Rene Marie-Joseph Perros, Bishop of Zoara, Vicar-Apostolic of Siam 75 Population and Ethnicity 80 Society, Health, and Education 89 Church Finances 98 III: The Church in Siam, 1909-39 109 Bangkok and the Central Plain 111 Education, Healthcare, and the Social Network 113 Conclusion 124 The West 128 The Mission of Ratchaburi 130 Integration and Conflict 134 Conclusion 140 The North 142 Establishing a Presence 144 The Protestant Challenge 149 Conclusion 156 The East 158 Parishes.. .As They were Meant to Be 159 viii Trouble in Paradise 163 Conclusion 168 General Conclusion 170 IV: The Northeast, 1909-39 172 Loyalty demands Dissent 175 Border Crossings 186 Personal Fiefdoms and Fifth Columnists 198 Conclusion 209 V : Persecution, 1940-45 212 Auguries of Violence 215 Manifestations 222 Controlled Persecution 228 Persecution by Local Groups 243 Confiscations and Ulterior Motives 254 Conclusion 266 VI: Manipulating Identities: National Identities and the Missionary 268 French Missionaries 270 Italian Missionaries 284 Thai Priests and Parishioners 291 Conclusion 307 VII: Conclusion 309 VIII: Epilogue 326 The State 326 The Church 332 Chronology and Appendices 337 Chronology, 1909-47 338 Bibliography 373 ix List of Charts and Tables Catholic Population in the Mission of Siam, 1919-40 81 Population and Distribution of Christians in Siam, 1929-30 82 Population of Priests in the Mission of Siam by Nationality, 1930-40 85 Population of Nuns in the Mission of Siam by Nationality, 1930-40 86 Mission of Siam Finances, 1922-30 98 Mission of Siam Finances, 1930-40 99 Mission of Siam Expenditure, 1922-30 100 Mission of Siam Expenditure, 1930-40 101 Mission of Siam Income Sources, 1922-30 102 Mission of Siam Income Sources, 1930-40 103 Propaganda Fide Subsidies by Country/Territory, 1917-28 107 List of Abbreviations B.A.A.