Seni Pramoj

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Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj ม.ร.ว. เสนีย์ ปราโมช
6th Prime Minister of Thailand
In office September 17, 1945 – January 31, 1946 February 15, 1975 – March 13, 1975 April 20, 1976 – October 6, 1976
Preceded by	Tawee Boonyaket (1945) Sanya Dharmasakti (1975) Kukrit Pramoj (1976)
Succeeded by	Khuang Abhaiwongse (1946) Kukrit Pramoj (1975) Tanin Kraivixien (1976)
Born	May 26, 1905(1905-05-26)
Died	July 28, 1997 (aged 92)
Nationality	Thai
Spouse	Tanpuying Usna Pramoj

Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj (May 26, 1905 – July 28, 1997), (Thai: เสนีย์ ปราโมช) was three times prime minister of Thailand and a politician active in the Democrat Party. A lesser member of the Thai royal family, he was a descendant of King Rama II.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Free Thai Movement 1.2 Post-war years 1.3 The 1970s 2 References 3 External links

[edit] Biography

Born a son of HSH Prince Khamrob and Mom Daeng (Bunnag),^[1] he was educated at Trent College in Derbyshire before obtaining a second-class degree in Law from Worcester College, Oxford. He continued his studies at Gray's Inn, London, receiving first honours. After returning to Thailand he studied Thai Law, and following six months as trainee at the Supreme Court, he started to work at the Justice Civil Court. Later, he was transferred to the Foreign Ministry and was sent to the United States to became Thai ambassador there.

[edit] Free Thai Movement

Japanese forces invaded Thailand early on the morning of December 8, 1941 - shortly before the attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Prime Minister, Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, ordered a ceasefire at noon, entering into an armistice that allowed the Japanese to use Thai military installations in their invasion of Malaya and Burma. On December 21, a formal military alliance with Japan was concluded.

The Phibun government declared war on Great Britain and the United States on January 25, 1942. Although the Thai ambassador in London delivered Thailand's declaration of war to the British government, Seni refused to do so. Instead, he considered organising a resistance movement in the United States.

Following a late morning interview with Secretary Cordell Hull on December 8, Seni returned to his legation to confer with his staff. The ambassador and his staff unanimously decided to cast their lot with the Allies. Late the same afternoon, he returned to the State Department to offer their services to the Allied cause. Blaming pro-Japanese elements for the early Thai surrender, he spoke to Hull of unfreezing Thai assets in the United States for further prosecution of the war and suggested that the Thais in the country might “organise and preserve a government of true patriotic, liberty-loving Thais while his government is in the clutches of Japan.”

The State Department decided to act as if Seni continued to represent Thailand. This enabled him to tap into the frozen Thai assets. When asked to draw up a list of “reliable and influential Thai nationals known to be definitely patriotic and anti-Japanese” by the State Department (at the suggestion of John P. Davies), Seni named Regent Pridi Phanomyong, politicians Khuang Aphaiwong and Wilat Osathanon, and diplomats Phraya Sisena and Direk Jayanama as “reliables”.

Seni advanced plans to mobilise Thai volunteers in support of the Allies. Beyond the legation staffers and their families, most other Thai residents were students enrolled at colleges and universities, including institutions such as Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Cornell. Many chose to stay following the Thai declaration of war in January, refusing repatriation. Most, like Seni, saw their nation as a victim of Japanese aggression.

[edit] Post-war years

Seni became Prime Minister on September 17, 1945, the day he returned to Bangkok. However, he found his position at the head of a cabinet packed with Pridi’s loyalists quite uncomfortable. Northeastern populist politicians like Tiang Sirikhanth and Bangkok upstarts like Sanguan Tularaksa were not people the aristocratic Seni preferred to associate with. They, in turn, viewed Seni as an elitist who was entirely out of touch with Thailand’s political realities.^[2] Pridi continued to wield power behind the scenes as he had done during the Khuang government. The regent’s looming presence and overarching authority rankled the proud, thin-skinned Seni, fuelling a personal animosity that would poison Thailand’s postwar politics.

The Pramoj brothers subsequently joined the newly-formed Democrat Party in 1946, which was for the most part made up of royalists and conservative reactionaries. Seni would spend the next two years vigorously carrying out a personal vendetta against Pridi. Earlier in the year he had called for an investigation of the use of the $500,000 in Thai assets unfrozen by the US government that he had turned over to the OSS. Insinuating the money had all gone to the senior statesman, he alleged that "most of the money had not been spent for what it was intended." An independent investigatory panel, however, found no fault, concluding that the Free Thai had "performed remarkably well" and that the Thai people "owe a great deal to them."^[3] The outcome left the ex-prime minister looking extremely foolish.

Seni soon got his revenge, however. In the immediate aftermath of King Ananda Mahidol's death Seni and his party launched relentless attacks against the government and accused Pridi of engineering the king's assassination, the implausibility of the charge notwithstanding.^[4]

In November 1947 the Democrat Party cooperated with disgruntled army officers to oust the government of Thawan Thamrongnawasawat. As part of the deal, Seni was awarded a cabinet portfolio in Khuang's coup-installed cabinet.

[edit] The 1970s

Seni returned to his law practice, but remained active in the Democrat Party during this period of military rule. He served again briefly as prime minister from February 17 to March 17, 1975, when he was defeated and replaced by his younger brother, Mom Rajawongse Kukrit Pramoj. However, Kukrit's government only lasted until April 21, 1976, when Seni regained the top political office.

Seni's final term was a time of crisis in the nation. A rightwing backlash against leftist student demonstrators culminated in the Thammasat University massacre on October 6, 1976, and the military forced him out of office.

Seni decided to resign as leader of the Democrat Party and left politics for good. He quietly practiced law until his retirement.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Biography at the Thai government
• The Home of M R Kukrit Pramoj - a legacy of Thailand's famous son
• Asian History

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Thailand Phraya Manopakorn Nititada · Phraya Phahon Phonphayuhasena† · Plaek Pibulsonggram† · Khuang Abhaiwongse† · Tawee Boonyaket · Seni Pramoj · Khuang Abhaiwongse · Pridi Phanomyong · Thawal Thamrong Navaswadhi† · Khuang Abhaiwongse† · Plaek Pibulsonggram† · Pote Sarasin† · Thanom Kittikachorn† · Sarit Dhanarajata† · Thanom Kittikachorn† · Sanya Dharmasakti · Seni Pramoj · Kukrit Pramoj · Seni Pramoj · Tanin Kraivixien · Kriangsak Chomanan† · Prem Tinsulanonda† · Chatichai Choonhavan · Anand Panyarachun† · Suchinda Kraprayoon† · Meechai Ruchuphan* · Anand Panyarachun · Chuan Leekpai · Banharn Silpa-Archa · Chavalit Yongchaiyudh · Chuan Leekpai · Thaksin Shinawatra · Sonthi Boonyaratglin† · Surayud Chulanont† · Samak Sundaravej * acting     † head of a military government