Magic, mobs and millennialism

       Thailand has often been termed the "Magic Kingdom," but few actually recognise how pervasive magic has become in Thai politics, very much including in the present crisis.
       A recent book Lap Luang Prang (the title of which might be translated as "The Secrets that Deceive") by Bangkok Post reporter Wassana Nanuam provides a detailed and fascinating account of the use of astrologers and black magic not only by Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister who was removed from office in a military coup in 2006, but also by many other high officials and especially military officers, including General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, the army commander-in-chief who led the coup against Thaksin. Gen Sonthi is a particularly interesting case because, as Ms Wassana observes, as a Muslim, the general should not engage in superstitious practice.
       Ms Wassana discusses how Thaksin, the 21st century politician, has sought to "channel," as mediums do, the spirit of Taksin, the late 18th century king who reigned at Thon Buri and was deposed by the founder of the present dynasty. Perhaps Thaksin, like King Taksin, also seeks to be a future Buddha.
       Ms Wassana further examines the magical identification made between Thaksin's nemesis, Sondhi Limthongkul, and the famous King Narai of Ayutthaya. If Mr Sondhi is known to have been wearing an amulet during his miraculous escape from a barrage of bullets, one can expect copies of that amulet to be widely sought after.
       One chapter of Ms Wassana's book is entitled Newin: Spirit Doctor of the Khmer. Newin Chidchob, a political boss from Buri Ram in northeastern Thailand and the scion of a Thai Khmer family whose men were often mahouts working with elephants, was once a major backer of Thaksin.
       In 2005 when Thaksin visited Buri Ram, Mr Newin guided him in a ritual use of an elephant prod belonging to Mr Newin's grandfather to magically attack Thaksin's opponents. Since in 2009 Mr Newin abandoned Thaksin and led his supporters in parliament to back a Democrat-led government, one wonders whether the elephant prod was passed on to Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Democrat leader who is now prime minister.
       Ms Wasssana is not the only one to have noted the significant role magic plays in Thai politics. Surasak Tumcharoen, another Bangkok Post reporter, observed in an article published on June 2, 2007, that the Democrat party as well as Thai Rak Thai party leaders gave considerable credence to the interpretation of omens and the predictions of astrologers. Mr Surasak wrote: "Horoscopes and astrology may sound unbelievable to some, but many politicians secretly rely on such superstition. Apparently, some politicians consult their astrologers before making any major political decisions. Some military officers even consulted their ajarn [masters] on the right timing to stage a coup."
       Speaking about the present crisis, Thanong Khanthong, a staff member of The Nation, in his blog (http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/thanong/2009/04/13/entry-1) of April 13, 2009, "Crisis Soon Over: Thank the Stars," wrote that "my amateur astrologer has told me that duang muang [the City's star] is in trouble, with the stars aligned in a complicated position. When King Yodfa [Rama I] founded Bangkok in 1782, the lakh[s]ana duang muang [the character of the City of Angels] was represented by the sun, which exemplified strength, boldness and grandeur."
       Another blog-writer who uses the name "Siam Report" (http://siamreport.blogspot.com/2009/04/crisis-soon-over-thank-stars.html), in commenting on Thanong's blog, notes that Thaksin had also consulted an astrologer in anticipation of the events that have constituted Thailand's latest political crisis.
       Both bloggers have pointed to the role that astrologers such as Mor Lak have played in advising Thaksin during the recent crisis.
       I became fascinated with the role of magic in 2006 when the destruction of the shrine to Brahma (Thao Maha Phrom) at the Erawan Hotel was seen by astrologers advising Thaksin to be a very bad omen. In a paper I wrote about this incident (http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/showfile.asp?pubid=638&type=2), I concluded that: "Both private and public discourses about spirits, omens and horoscopes contribute to the understandings Thai have about the personal and public political crises. The destruction of the Erawan Shrine did not lead directly to Thaksin's being overthrown by a coup, but the interpretation of this destruction being an ill omen for him did contribute to the perception that his political authority was deeply compromised."
       So, too, today the turn to magic raises doubts about the legitimacy of political authority.
       Magical thinking is not found only among political leaders. The mob psychology that impelled the Yellow Shirts to occupy government offices and take over the Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Red Shirts to also occupy government offices, disrupt the Asean-East Asian summit, and take to the streets of Bangkok also entails magical thinking. The donning of coloured clothing and waving of hand or foot clappers echoes the acts of mobs in northeastern Thailand in the early part of the 20th century who wore white clothes and engaged in ritual acts in their efforts to resist the imposition of the authority of the Thai state. Like the earlier mobs which followed men who were seen as phu mi bun, "men with Buddhist merit," the more recent mobs have also turned to non-elected leaders whom they acclaim as having moral authority.
       One can recognise that the Thai movements are similar to movements in Christian countries in which magical actions were undertaken to hasten the establishment of a millennium of rule by Christ.
       The term "millennialism" has been widely adopted for understanding any movement that seeks an imminent and magical establishment of a new political order.
       Those who have joined millennial movements have often paid with their lives or limbs for their trust in the occult. In 1902, those who followed the phu mi bun in seeking to turn back the expansion of the modern Thai state were killed in the hundreds by troops using gatling guns, the pre-modern equivalent of assault rifles. In 2004, 107 young Thai-Malay men whom Professor Nidhi Eoseewong characterises as having embraced a Muslim version of millennialism were killed at the Krue Se mosque in Pattani province. Some in both the yellow shirt and red shirt mobs have also died in violent confrontations on the streets of Bangkok and many more could also die if the crisis continues.
       Why have magic, mob psychology and millennialism become so significant in Thai political life today?
       The answer to the question is that there is a notable lack of consensus among the populace and their leaders regarding the basic premises on which political order can rest in Thailand.
       This lack of consensus can be traced to the subversion of the 1997 Constitution by the Thaksin governments and by the abrogation of the constitution following the 2006 coup. It also stems from the deep anxieties many Thai of all colours of clothing have about the future.
       There was no need to consult an astrologer to read the results of the referendum in August 2007 on a new constitution drafted during the period when a military-backed government was in power. While a slight majority of those voting favoured the new constitution, fewer than 60% of the people actually voted. More significantly, more than 60% of those who voted in northeastern Thailand rejected it. The Northeast is home to most of those who have joined the red shirts.
       The division that the 2007 constitutional referendum revealed underlies the rise of the yellow shirts and the red shirts.
       Without an agreed on set of new rules for politics in Thailand, magic, mob psychology and millennialist movements will continue to perpetuate the political crisis.
       Charles Keyes is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and International Studies, University of Washington. He is the author of numerous books and articles about Thailand.