I WAS in an African country last week. It is considered one of the most peaceful countries on that continent today, a new frontier that potentially offers promising prospects as far as foreign investments are concerned. And yet, I returned home with a deeper sense of appreciation for the good things we have going for us - things that many take for granted.
Surely, to become a colony means the country loses its sovereignty - the ability to rule itself and be in charge of its own fate. It loses control of its government and natural resources. It is no longer in charge of decisions about its present and future development.
But equally as important, if not more, is the fact that being a colony means a nation loses something more than its sovereignty - it loses its soul. This delicate, intangible essence is more than the total sum of the individuals that comprise a nation, but the unique nature of a nation as a living organism. The soul of a nation underlies the collective personality of a country, encompassing its heritage, culture, history and more. It provides the nation with its raison d'etre and its compass. The fine balance of the soul of a nation usually does not withstand the merciless trampling of colonialism.
During the reign of King Rama IV (r. 1851-1868), Siam felt for the first time the pressure of Western expansionism. The king wisely responded by embracing Western innovation and modernisation initiatives. Those initiatives were not superficial reforms; he aimed at laying the foundation for solid, longer-term national development in terms of technology (printing), social and economic structural adjustments (the introduction of coinage in 1860), and improvement of infrastructure (paving of roads, digging of canals for water transport and plantation). The king also promoted the learning of the English language. As a result of these reforms, Siam gained acceptance as a rightful nation in world diplomacy.
The Western threat became more intense during the reign of King Rama V (r. 1868-1910), who more than rose to the occasion. Without his wisdom, far-sightedness and boundless care for his country and his people, and his comprehensive, top-down structural reform, Siam would have become a colony of either the French or British. Both were breathing down our necks unrelentingly in their hunger for another conquest. Without him, our soul would have been shattered and we as a nation would have struggled mightily and faultily to regain it.
Not only did Siam survive the colonial threat, with the king's astute diplomatic policies and his deeper and wider modernisation efforts, the country became an inimitable example of the bloodless abolition of slavery, while the history of the same effort around the globe was characterised by bloodshed and dislocation.
Some say that by not having been a colony, Thailand lacks a real comprehension, and hence appreciation, of the concept of sovereignty, and the nurturing and the livelihood of the soul. Our younger generation has no memory of our history and the sacrifices that our forefathers made to keep us the "land of the free".
The African country I visited has abundant water reserves and resources that have never been fully utilised or developed. The country is on the verge of taking off economically, but a sense of direction seems missing. The signs of colonialism in the country are plenty, but not many of the citizens seem to be aware, take heed, or mind. It is a place where preserving the life of a cow, a productive economic unit, takes precedence over doing the same for a family member, if one has to choose between the two.
Such heartbreaking reality in Africa gave me a deeper sense of gratitude for our King and the immense and immeasurable contribution he has made to our nation. Many once criticised him for paying keen attention to irrigation, for initiating and overseeing the construction of dam after dam. People ignored his substantial poverty alleviation and development initiatives and programmes. Politicians are busy with their own agendas, most of which do not coincide with the long-term interests and benefits of the country. But His Majesty's underappreciated works and efforts have paid off in a substantial and meaningful way. They are so altruistically and unostentatiously executed that we do not notice or fully appreciate them.
We do not notice that we have a compass as we move forward. We do not notice that we have managed to hold it together despite the frenzied pace of western influence and globalisation. The new colonialists did not visit while we were not looking, because they knew better that we have something uniquely powerful that would resist their foray. We have in our King our soul. He has been our immunity against the numerous malaise that plague many other countries in the same category.
As the rivals of every colour abuse and tear apart the very institution that has saved us and made us an upright and proud nation, we put ourselves at the edge of the cliff. But forgetting to whom we owe our gratitude and indebtedness, we have lost the sense of right and wrong, and as such have entered the zone of lost horizons. As a nation, we know not how to walk straight, let alone in which direction to head.
It is such a shame that we have hopelessly lost our way. We have had it so good, we forgot to count our blessings and give credit where it is due. We have become a dysfunctional family, ripping apart the very soul and fabric that has held us together. We do not even pause to ask what we are doing to ourselves and our future.
Doesn't anybody care