The Aphaiwong Family: The Lords of Battambang

Khuang Aphaiwong

23rd November, 2008
By Khmerization
On the web at http://khmerization.blogspot.com

It is a pride to all Cambodians that we have a Khmer who ruled Thailand as the prime minister and he was Khuang Aphaiwong, the man who became the prime minister of Thailand three times from 1944-1948. The following is a brief history of his family lineage. Please have a read:
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The Aphaiwong family has ruled Battambang province for over one hundred years from 1795-1907. The first member of the Aphaiwongs to rule Battambang was Chaufa Ben, a native of Takeo province, who was a powerful military commander under the reign of King Ang Eng. In 1795, with the aid of the Thai army with Chau Ponhea Bodin as a commander, Chaufa Ben declared himself the Lord Governor of Battambang and swore allegiance to the Thai kings. He pays homage to the Thai kings and since then Battambang was put under the suzerainty of Siam. As a reward, he was accorded the title of “Chau Ponhea Apheithipess” which in Thai it is called “Chao Phraya Aphaithebet” or “Aphai”. This title was later adopted as a family name of Ben’s descendants of Aphaiwong, when his descendants moved to live in Thailand, after Battambang was returned to Cambodia in 1907.

When Chau Ponhea Apheitipess Ben died in 1809, his son, Pen, ascended the Lordship of Battambang with the same title of Chau Ponhea Apheitipess. Chau Ponhea Pen ruled Battambang for only seven years and died at a young age and was then succeeded in 1816 by his son, Ros, who ruled Battambang for twenty years. When he died in 1835, Chau Ponhea Ros was succeeded by his son, Nong. There was no record of how long Chau Ponhea Nong ruled Battambang, but there was a record which shows that in 1856 he had ordered his official to buy a Tripitaka scripture from Siam to give to Wat Po Veal temple. When Apheitipess Nong died he was succeeded by his son, Year called Nhonh.

Lord Chhum, The Last Lord Governor of Battambang

Chau Ponhea Nhonh was very close with Chau Ponhea Bodin, the Thai military commander for Battambang. As such, he married his eldest daughter, Neak Mchas Klip, to Bodin’s son named Em Singhaseni. When Ponhea Nhon became old, Mrs. Klip took charge of the provincial affairs. The Thai king was so impressed of her managerial skills and so was preparing to appoint her husband, Em Singhaseni, to succeed Ponhea Nhonh. Chhum, the only son of Ponhea Nhonh, knew of the plan and became jealous and had Em Singhaseni assassinated. And when Ponhea Nhonh died in 1895, Chhum succeeded Ponhea Nhonh as the Lord Governor of Battambang. Chhum ruled Battambang for only 12 years when it was returned back to the control of Cambodia. He and most of his relatives, numbers in the thousands, moved to live in Prachinburi province in Thailand. He was, effectively, the last governor of Battambang.

According to eyewitnesses, when Lord Chhum moved to live in Thailand, he brought with him about 100 cartloads of gold and assets, taxed from Khmer farmers in Battambang.

Khuang Aphaiwong, A Khmer becoming the Prime Minister of Thailand

Lord Chhum, the last governor of Battambang, had more than 40 wives. Among the 40 wives, he had one Thai wife named Rord who bore him a son named Khuang who took the surname of Aphaiwong when his family moved to live in Thailand after Battambang was returned to Cambodia in 1907.

Khuang Aphaiwong was born in Battambang on May 17, 1902 and died on March 15, 1968 in Bangkok, Thailand. He served three times as the prime minister of Thailand.

He attended the Debsirin school and the Assumption College in Bangkok, and studied engineering at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France. After his return to Thailand he worked in the telegraph department, finally becoming the director of the department.

Khuang was one of the most important leaders of the 1932 coup that reformed the Thai monarchy from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.

Khuang received the title as a major, when he joined the guard of King Rama VII, King Prajadipok, in World War II. The Thai king also bestowed upon him the title of Luang Kovit Aphaiwong. He had served as a minister of subsequent Thai governments before elected as prime minister on August 1, 1944. On August 17, 1945, after public pressures, he resigned to make way for a new administration.

In 1946 he was one of the founders of the Democrat Party, and became its first leader. His Democrat Party won the fourth national elections on January 6, 1946, which gained him a second term as prime minister starting on January 31. Only 45 days later, on March 24, his government was censured by a motion in the parliament and he resigned.

On November 10, 1947, he became prime minister a third time following a coup d'état led by Phin Chunhawan. However, the coup leaders were not pleased with the performance of Khuang's government and forced him to resign on April 8, 1948.

The Aphaiwong Legacy

The Aphaiwongs had ruled well and, at times, misruled Battambang, depending on who you talked to. The Aphaiwong family was both loved and hated by many Battambang natives due to their feudal and oppressive rules. Many people who benefited from their rules loved them and cried when the family moved to Thailand, after Battambang was returned to Cambodian control. Many of these people followed the Aphaiwongs to Thailand but were abandoned by them. Most became destitute and decided to moved back to Battambang. Others, those who were oppressed by their oppressive rules, were overjoyed of their departures.//
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References:

1. Tauch Chhuong, Battambang During The Time Of The Lord Governor
2. Wikipedia, Khuang Aphaiwong.
3. Brittanica, Khuang Aphaiwong.

Siam's persecuting ethnics

Left to right: Khuang Abhaiwong, Abhisit Vejajiva, Thaksin Shinawatra

21 November 2008
Op-Ed by Kok Sap
Originally posted at http://khamerlogue.wordpress.com

Apparently, for the last 200 years Siam has not been ruled or led by Siam origin. Also Siam made it clear in its history if there was Siam that must be no Khmer or else.

From Siam records, in 1932 other socialist inclined Sino ethnic groups put Teochow dynastic absolute rule in check. Then to exploit Khmer to strengthen control over its newly annexed Khmer provinces, in February 1945 Khuang, a Battambang native was permitted to found a political party called “Democrats Party” which later assimilated him a Siam Prime Minister and dictator. He was fierce in persecuting and suppressing his own Khmer identity and culture.

Presently Khuang’s Democrats Party is led by the English born named Abhisit. He is from wealthy Hakka permanent residents of England. Who can tell if his parents were not the enthusiasts of Mao Communist Party? He has purposely instigated racial hatred on and war over Khmer’s Preah Vihear. Also Abhisit is persecuting his fellow Hakka, Thaksin. This seemed awaking Khuang’s curse.

Abhisit is not afraid to sacrifice many innocent lives especially the ethnic Khmer for his gains. He is an ally of Sonthi Limthongkul-another non-Siam and leader of People Alliance for Democracy. Both are pledging allegiance to the monarchy and wanting to replace parliamentarian with dictatorial system.

In truth, they are elitists and out of touch with real people.

In contrast, Thaksin might have been corruptive in association but he was the first head of government to care for Siam millions of poor. He advocated for basic needs for the poor. Obviously he was too popular and a threat to the institutional hypocrisy. In Thailand, the buck stops at the King sitting room. None dared to question King Integrity.

Increasingly the populism, secessionism and socialism seem sweeping against the backward Bangkok absolutism. Although Thaksin is a Hakka and born in the occupied Lao territory. But evidently he is too respected by the poor.

Currently Thaksin is labeled an enemy to Bangkok ruling clan. He is accused of treason that earned King’s coup in September 2006. Since then, Bangkok is plagued in madness. There seem to be more violence in Yala-Pattani secession, deadly arm clashes with Lao and Khmer over Bangkok exaggerated borders, and constitutional blackmails.

From tyranny to democracy, post 1932 all coups halted Siam from being a democratic society. Now Thaksin persecution seems revealing truth on Bangkok century old hypocrisy. It is a treason already but the people do not say it yet. They begin to wiggle their heads as the world keeps scrutinizing Bangkok conspiracy from one to another.

Not long ago in the region, East Timor set an example of self determination and autonomy from its colonial dominance. That took the world for a long while before coming to rescue the suppressed people of East Timor. Same event may haunt Bangkok growing racial divides along with the sentiment of autonomy from Yala-Pattani and the reunification of Isaan old Kingdom with Lao. Also the new generational-racial and ethnic demands for equality in entitlements are ready to affront Bangkok despotic control.

In Bangkok, the obvious Sino ethnics are highly educated and allowed to have ethnic language schools in major urban. They also dominate all branches of government and economic lifeline. Others ethnics: Lao, Siam, Yuon, Khmer, Burma and Malay are treated unequally.

For the monarchists to make Thaksin an enemy of State is a dangerous move. He is very capable in mobilizing his supports to contest the radicals. The question is how passionate and determined Thaksin is to see that Siam returned to real people.It seems for now he is weighing his decision whether he will pursue his conscience or surrender to the unruly. But noting from the past history, to avoid the Crazy King Tak Sin fate, no matter what Thaksin must be alive and stay away from Bangkok coup plotters.