Kabot Phuwiset:The Millenarian Rebellion in the

Southern Part of Thailand

Rebellion led by a self-proclaimed psychic in Southern Thailand

Ratanakosin Year (R.S.) 128　 31st July

Ratanakosin Year (R.S.)130　 2nd – 3rd September

→ In R.S.120, the regulation concerning the governance of 7 provinces was enforced

→ The central government intervened in local governance

→ The regulation bred discontent among the local governors who ruled the their own province by themselves.

31st July R.S.128〈 Rebellion 〉 The Leader of Rebellion ⇒ Haji(Islamic Leader)

Haji Bhra, Haji Wanti etc.

Each Haji held rallies against the central government and collected rebels

After collecting a number of rebels, Hajis drilled them to fight with arms against the central government.

PreachingIslamic Doctrine

Knowledge of Magic

Deceive people

into a beliefthat Haji had supernatural

power

31st July R.S.128Rebellion led by a self-proclaimed psychic Local government officials and police officers found

that Haji Bhra and about 50 rebels held a rally with arms.

⇒ The first clash after the enforcement of the regulation of R.S.120,⇒Before it became serious riot, rebels were suppressed

They were armed with knives and swords, but they didn’t have modern weapons like a gun.

Most of the government officilals got injured Haji Bhra also got injured and was arrested

⇒Revealed that he did not have supernatural power⇒The claim that the Haji had supernatural power is merely to agitate the masses

Punishment of Rebels

Punishment of Haji Bhra If the Haji, a Islamic leader, were punished severely in

Pattani, it would have a bad influence on the local Muslim society…

King Rama V took the transferring Haji to Pattani in consideration.

Haji Bhra was transferred to Songkhla and judged there.⇒He was sentenced 13 years to imprisonment.

Haji Bhra was inprisoned in Bangkok, while other rebels were jailed in Nakhong Si Thammarat.

After Rebellion in R.S.128 Some similar cases happened in the southern Thailand

In Yara, Twan Sete who was a self-proclaimed psychic held a rally with about 300 people

In Nonchick, Haji Yuso, Haji Umah, Saniporchy instigated people to

The central government was concerned that the authority in Pattani was incapable of governance An officer who was sent by the central government found

that Twan Sete held a rally and arrested them.⇒ Local officers could not detect it

The local authority could not identify the factors of the rebellions

⇒ A rebellion broke out again in R.S.130.

Rebellion in R.S.130Rebellion led by Self-proclaimed Psychic

2nd SeptemberAbout 70 rebels burned down the office and official residence of Yaha District in Yala Province.

3rd SeptemberAbout 100 rebels armed with guns and swords attacked the officers of Tina Village in Yaha.

⇒Since R.S.120, it was the first case that the public office and officers were attacked violently in the southern part of Thailand

Features of Rebellion in R.S.130

1. Use of Modern ArmsThe rebels had about 60 guns70~100 rebels

2. A Definite Target = Office, Officials Residence, and Officers

Reflected the public’s discontent with the officers in the area.

It was also considered as the resistance against the central government.

3. Local officers ran away4. Could not arrest the rebels at all

The local authority was incapable of governing the area

Support of Pi Bun

The rebels became greater and stronger Some revels of Pi Bun group, who were imprisoned in

Nakhon Si Thammarat, escaped and supported the rebellion.

People who supported the rebellion increased in the neighbor provinces like Songkhla, Sai Buri.

Political Factors

Discontent with the central government on the governance reform of R.S.120 Local governors and officials lost their vested rights and

interests

Local officer were incapable of governing the area No action was taken to prevent the rebellion

Economical Factors Recession

1907～ 1910 　 Economy was in recession 1903～ 1910　Disasters, for example, flooding, drought,

epidemic, happened frequently Discontent on tax reform

The central government … began to collect all taxes and allocate them.

⇒ The local governors were discontented. increased taxes changed monetary system from the silver standard to gold

standard⇒it caused a steep fall of price of agricultural products

changed currency for taxes from Atta to Satarn ⇒many of people didn’t have Satarn yet and became poorer and poorer

Social Factors Most of the people in the southern border provinces =

Malays, Muslims The central government sent officers who could speak

Malay and understood Islamic culture, however they originally had religious prejudice.

Officers and citizens hated each other The Islamic leaders abused the religion to agitate

people against the government

The local people originally had a belief in magic At that time crimes were many and the society was

unstable⇒People tended to believe more in magic

Consequently the public believed that the rebellion leaders had supernatural power

Summary

The rebellion from R.S.128 to R.S.130 was fomented by economical factors and social factors, however its main factors were the governance reform .

The beginning of the consecutive rebellions was the antigovernment conspiracy in R.S.121, and the rebellions led by self-proclaimed psychics were

Abdul Kadir, Sultan of Pattani, was the leader behind the scene, which was testified by one of the rebels