The King and I: A Royal Critique

I just wanted to share the following article. It provokes much food for your thought.

The King and I: A Royal Critique - Tom Plate - UCLA Asia Institute

King Bhumibol Adulyadej provides Prime Minister Thaksin with much needed advice on humility
Thursday, December 8, 2005

Bangkok --- Kings are not ordinarily my thing.

Generally, one needs to maintain to a proper deference for elected parliaments or congresses, even as they are often ethically challenged.

The problem is that absolutism in the pursuit of political perfection almost always leads to tragic tyranny. It's the rare king or queen who can rise above His or Her absolutism.

But Thailand may just have one of those.

On Sunday, on the occasion of his 78th birthday, the King of the nation once known as Siam delivered his birthday speech. This is an annual event, and in Siam the King occupies a special affection in people's hearts.

The King spoke from a throne that looked like a giant birthday cake, in the hall of the capital's gold-and-silver drenched Grand Palace. The potential for unintentional hilarity and pointless pomposity was overwhelming. But this time King Bhumibol Adulyadej was for spurning royal froth; the king had something important to say. He was speaking against a backdrop of government rocked by scandal and excessive ego.

Aiming soft-coated barbs primarily at the country's prime minister, the King proposed to his subjects a quiet platform of wisdom, common sense and humility. Yes, he said, even the King can make mistakes (though the Thai Constitutional actually states to the contrary that he cannot), and the people should let him know when mistakes are made.

Kings don't usually say this, but this ninth King of the Chakri Dynasty, enthroned way back in 1946, spoke against the backdrop of rising public unhappiness with the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. This multi-millionaire politician has been feeling the public-opinion heat lately, and has not been taking it well. On the contrary, with just about each public criticism, Thaksin has ordered his bevy of
lawyers to file a lawsuit against every critic who opens his or her mouth.

This should not be the Thai way, suggested the world's longest running monarch: "Whatever one does, one just has to be conscious of what one is thinking and doing, and thus try not to make a mistake... I myself have made mistakes a few times..." And so, it was suggested, even the prime minister can make mistakes, and if the King is willing to acknowledge his mistakes, why not the PM?

Taking criticism in stride is a normal and essential part of public service. It is far better for rulers to deal with the sometimes-harsh sunlight of reality than to try to govern in the darkness of poisonous flattery. Public figures do become excessive targets of criticism, conceded the King, but, even so, "It could be damaging to the public if one doesn't appreciate those points of criticism."

To be sure, the King thanked -- but really only tongue-in-cheek -- the prime minister for wishing him well on the occasion of his royal birthday. But he wondered whether his compliment would sow trouble for the Throne "because other people might not compliment me for complimenting the PM. They may question why I give him compliments."

Thaksin, whose government has supported the Iraq war and executed excessively harsh measures against Muslims in the south near Malaysia, is known to have political skin far thinner than papyrus.

"It is normal that people like being complimented and do not like being criticized," said the King, drolly. "But we have the PM for complimenting. If we do not compliment him, he might not be pleased. And if he is not satisfied, how could work proceed?"

Throw your eyes across the political spectrum of the world and think of All the self-styled monarchs for whom a true King's words would be most apt. One thinks of insulated presidents (who shall go nameless) and arrogant prime ministers (who shall go nameless) who with hot-air pomp regard criticism as unpatriotic. But here is a King who would demonstrate humility, who would ask of his people that they accept his royal imperfections and who ask of his first minister that he accept that people and even political opponents have the right to raise serious questions about grave issues.

Americans do not ordinarily expect wisdom from royalty. But based on Sunday's speech, this is one King who does get this American's vote.