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Slavery of Lao people under Rama V

sunsnow

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Continuing the tradition of mass-slavery transfers of surrounding nations, like attacks into Laos in 1827.  In 1872, under the rule of King Chulalongkorn, Rama the Great, Rama V, Chiang Kwang in Laos was yet again plundered in very deceptive way meaning the capture of 5700 war slaves.From the work of "Slavery in nineteenth century northern Thailand:

archival anecdotes and village voices. " by Katherine A. Bowie 

KingRama5.jpg 

  The Laos fugitives in the hills being aware of what had taken place

naturally thought that they time had come when they might return to their

homes.  They however regarded the stranger Siamese with some distrust

and a considerable number determined not yet to leave their asylum in the

hills.  That these poor people were wise, the event proved, and every

person of humanity will when the result is known, wish that none of these

Laos had left their shelter at all.

 However, large numbers did, and returned to their homes in Chieng

Kwang and the neighbourhood, and no doubt felt thankful to the power

which had driven out their enemies.    Whether what followed was due to special orders from Bangkok or

whether action was taken independently by the Chiefs of the army I had

no means of ascertaining*, but however the matter may stand, the Laos

who were now settling down again into their homes and endeavouring to

repair the damage done by the Chin Haw invasion were called upon to

take the oath of allegiance to the King of Siam in the usual form of "kin

nam sabot".

 Various places were appointed, all on the same day, for the taking

of the oath, and the unsuspecting people were summoned.  As soon as

they had thus been called together, they were, after taking the oath,

suddenly set upon and made prisoners.  The number thus treacherously

seized amounted to 5,700.

 The Siamese military expedition had been converted into a slave

hunting operation on a large scale.  It only remained to drive the slave

gangs to Bangkok.  The unfortunate creatures, men, women and children,

many of the latter still in arms, were driven off in droves through the

jungles from Muang Puen to Pichai, the nearest point on the Menam

River.

  This terrible march occupied more than a month and is hardly

surpassed in its details of miserable suffering by any story of the slavers of

Africa told by Sir Samuel Baker and others.

 

The captives were hurried mercilessly along, many weighted by

burdens strapped to their backs, the men who had no wives or children

with them and were therefore capable of attempting escape, were tied

together by a rope passed through a sort of wooden collar.  Those men

who had their families with them were allowed the free use of their limbs.

 

Great numbers died from sickness, starvation and exhaustion on

the road.  The sick when they become too weak to struggle on were left

behind. If a house happened to be near, the sick man or woman was left

with the people in the house. If no house was at hand which must have

been oftener the case in the wild country they were traversing, the sufferer

was imply flung down to die miserably in the jungle. Any of his or her

companions attempting to stop to assist the poor creatures were driven on

with blows.
Ac5.GIF

As to those I saw active ill-treatment by their masters is for the

present at an end and indeed there is now some show of humanity towards them.

Fever and dysentery were still at work among them and many more

will probably die.  Already I was told, more than half of the original 5,700

so treacherously seized are dead.

(by Gould, 1876)
*In 1881 King Rama V ordered to relocate the children of these slaves back to their origins. And according to Bowie, it actually meant more broken families as the slaves had already intermarrid in Chiang Mai.

 Why this matters? Because still, so many "Thais" look down upon people from Laos, Cambodia and Burma. When even these "Thais" speak Khmer, Lao, Burmese dialects themselves.

 Without realising that for example in some parts of Northern Thailand half of the population of villages were originally slaves in the 19th century or that Isan was the destination of many of these mass transfers of war prisoners from Laos.  This is not to say that similar events took places around the world at the same time. Even during the 20th century there were still countries that legally allowed slavery. But the issue of this little talked part of history of Siam is so contradictonary to the modern day feelings where still so many people here have hatred toward neighbors and talk about re-education and "those poor village people" or "Cambodians stealing Thai history". But all this Happy Nation thing, is all part of the teaching curriculum in Thailand, where country repeats the mantra of "many different languages and smiles but one nation", when in big events the choirs consisting of "all the different ethnic groups" sing happily together but in the reality outside the school yards and tv, ethnic groups feel disadvantaged and not just feel but really experience it.  When is the last time you have seen in Thai museum any mention of the slavery and with what labor all these temples were built. Everyone is quick to mention the good deeds of all the perfect Kings of the past, but none has ever mentioned about slavery in Siam during the eras of these god-Kings (for example King Narai was after all named god Narai and all Siamese Kings in all public events to this day are surrounded by very strong Brahma-Buddhist images enforcing this feeling. Similar feeling is easily enforced by seeing whose portrait in so many temples is right next to Buddha statue or even presented in the most visible places outside temples with people gathering around the picture and giving it sacrifices in the forms of flowers in no dissimilar way that they do in front of the picture of the Buddha. Or as some Thai puts it "Thai people also believed [believe?] in the King’s miraculous power of bringing good luck and prosperity to the person who pays respect to him. Thus, the King’s picture is found in almost every house.")   Hmm didn't China have even more ethnic groups, 52 or 51 if my memory serves me right. And to the best of my knowledge, they are all just big happy nation regardless of their "ethnicity".......  Sources: Katherine A. Bowie, Wikipedia, visit to the museum of King Narai (Lopburi), media accounts from year 2006 and 2007 inside and outside of Thailand (2bangkok.com), forum posts of personal stories at Thaivisa.com, Thaiklupi, 2bangkok .com forums, personal interviews with people from Isan, personal visits and photographic evidence from several Thai temples, and several China -oriented political blogs

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sunsnow

Continuing the tradition of mass-slavery transfers of surrounding nations, like attacks into Laos in 1827.  In 1872, under the rule of King Chulalongkorn, Rama the Great, Rama V, Chiang Kwang in Laos was yet again plundered in very deceptive way meaning the capture of 5700 war slaves.From the work of "Slavery in nineteenth century northern Thailand:

archival anecdotes and village voices. " by Katherine A. Bowie 

KingRama5.jpg 

  The Laos fugitives in the hills being aware of what had taken place

naturally thought that they time had come when they might return to their

homes.  They however regarded the stranger Siamese with some distrust

and a considerable number determined not yet to leave their asylum in the

hills.  That these poor people were wise, the event proved, and every

person of humanity will when the result is known, wish that none of these

Laos had left their shelter at all.

 However, large numbers did, and returned to their homes in Chieng

Kwang and the neighbourhood, and no doubt felt thankful to the power

which had driven out their enemies.    Whether what followed was due to special orders from Bangkok or

whether action was taken independently by the Chiefs of the army I had

no means of ascertaining*, but however the matter may stand, the Laos

who were now settling down again into their homes and endeavouring to

repair the damage done by the Chin Haw invasion were called upon to

take the oath of allegiance to the King of Siam in the usual form of "kin

nam sabot".

 Various places were appointed, all on the same day, for the taking

of the oath, and the unsuspecting people were summoned.  As soon as

they had thus been called together, they were, after taking the oath,

suddenly set upon and made prisoners.  The number thus treacherously

seized amounted to 5,700.

 The Siamese military expedition had been converted into a slave

hunting operation on a large scale.  It only remained to drive the slave

gangs to Bangkok.  The unfortunate creatures, men, women and children,

many of the latter still in arms, were driven off in droves through the

jungles from Muang Puen to Pichai, the nearest point on the Menam

River.

  This terrible march occupied more than a month and is hardly

surpassed in its details of miserable suffering by any story of the slavers of

Africa told by Sir Samuel Baker and others.

 

The captives were hurried mercilessly along, many weighted by

burdens strapped to their backs, the men who had no wives or children

with them and were therefore capable of attempting escape, were tied

together by a rope passed through a sort of wooden collar.  Those men

who had their families with them were allowed the free use of their limbs.

 

Great numbers died from sickness, starvation and exhaustion on

the road.  The sick when they become too weak to struggle on were left

behind. If a house happened to be near, the sick man or woman was left

with the people in the house. If no house was at hand which must have

been oftener the case in the wild country they were traversing, the sufferer

was imply flung down to die miserably in the jungle. Any of his or her

companions attempting to stop to assist the poor creatures were driven on

with blows.
Ac5.GIF

As to those I saw active ill-treatment by their masters is for the

present at an end and indeed there is now some show of humanity towards them.

Fever and dysentery were still at work among them and many more

will probably die.  Already I was told, more than half of the original 5,700

so treacherously seized are dead.

(by Gould, 1876)
*In 1881 King Rama V ordered to relocate the children of these slaves back to their origins. And according to Bowie, it actually meant more broken families as the slaves had already intermarrid in Chiang Mai.

 Why this matters? Because still, so many "Thais" look down upon people from Laos, Cambodia and Burma. When even these "Thais" speak Khmer, Lao, Burmese dialects themselves.

 Without realising that for example in some parts of Northern Thailand half of the population of villages were originally slaves in the 19th century or that Isan was the destination of many of these mass transfers of war prisoners from Laos.  This is not to say that similar events took places around the world at the same time. Even during the 20th century there were still countries that legally allowed slavery. But the issue of this little talked part of history of Siam is so contradictonary to the modern day feelings where still so many people here have hatred toward neighbors and talk about re-education and "those poor village people" or "Cambodians stealing Thai history". But all this Happy Nation thing, is all part of the teaching curriculum in Thailand, where country repeats the mantra of "many different languages and smiles but one nation", when in big events the choirs consisting of "all the different ethnic groups" sing happily together but in the reality outside the school yards and tv, ethnic groups feel disadvantaged and not just feel but really experience it.  When is the last time you have seen in Thai museum any mention of the slavery and with what labor all these temples were built. Everyone is quick to mention the good deeds of all the perfect Kings of the past, but none has ever mentioned about slavery in Siam during the eras of these god-Kings (for example King Narai was after all named god Narai and all Siamese Kings in all public events to this day are surrounded by very strong Brahma-Buddhist images enforcing this feeling. Similar feeling is easily enforced by seeing whose portrait in so many temples is right next to Buddha statue or even presented in the most visible places outside temples with people gathering around the picture and giving it sacrifices in the forms of flowers in no dissimilar way that they do in front of the picture of the Buddha. Or as some Thai puts it "Thai people also believed [believe?] in the King’s miraculous power of bringing good luck and prosperity to the person who pays respect to him. Thus, the King’s picture is found in almost every house.")   Hmm didn't China have even more ethnic groups, 52 or 51 if my memory serves me right. And to the best of my knowledge, they are all just big happy nation regardless of their "ethnicity".......  Sources: Katherine A. Bowie, Wikipedia, visit to the museum of King Narai (Lopburi), media accounts from year 2006 and 2007 inside and outside of Thailand (2bangkok.com), forum posts of personal stories at Thaivisa.com, Thaiklupi, 2bangkok .com forums, personal interviews with people from Isan, personal visits and photographic evidence from several Thai temples, and several China -oriented political blogs

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Britneyjet

great story but what is your point? why you bring this topic up? i am asking cos i am curious not try to against anything you wrote. here is my point of view.

Thai museum may or may not mention about the slavery cos thai ppl study this from all high school text book. we know what happened..and as you know Loas, Combodia, Burma are our frienemy....yes we are speaking their languages, yes we are all look the same cos we are south east ASIAN..Same as USA, they speak English and Spanish, lots of mexican-american so? (*_*)

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sunsnow

PJack: Yep, I wonder when the north Africans start taking Europeans as slaves etc.

Britneyjet: Point is, the internal racism in Thailand. And that is not valid. Why you supposed that because something is taught at school, there would not be need for such exhibits in museums? Explain to me? Does it mean that there should not be museums for lets say Chinese history in China, because Chinse learn about it at school? Your reasoning makes no sense, and this without even pulling in the fact that world museums are visited by world people, hence the need to talk about historical facts even if they are taught in the nations own school. Why else most good Thai museums would have text in English too? Quite short sighted. :)

And Laos Cambodia and Burma are FRIENEMY? You meant to say FRIEND or ENEMY? Or something new totally? Interesting wording.

Gain: nothing. Just found something interesting as I was reading about history of Thailand. Nothing to do with this PAD issue. As I explain in the post, I had never heard about this wide spread war slaving.

happynoworries: Explain to me why? This is written history. The same way slavery is part of the USA history. I do not see any reason why slavery in South East Asia could be reason to banned for posting? Whitewashing history?

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