This dyad belongs to the conflict Thailand: Government
Summary of conflict Thailand: Government
Since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, Thailand has experienced several coups and in 1951, a failed coup attempt led to heavy fighting. A decade later, CPT (Communist Party of Thailand) declared its goal to seize government power through an armed struggle and fighting eventually escalated in the mid 1970s. Following decreased support from neighbouring communist countries, internal divisions and intensified government offensives, CPT was considerably weakened in the early 1980s. The conflict was terminated due to low activity in 1982.
Coup attempt by navy faction in 1951
Since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932 and the instalment of a constitutional democracy, Thailand has experienced a large number of coups and coup attempts. The most violent coup attempt after the end of World War II, took place in 1951. On 29 June 1951, Thai naval forces abducted the Thai Prime Minister, Pibul Songgram, during a ceremony with the US Chargé d Affaires. Later the same day, it was announced through the naval radio station that the so-called “Liberation Army” had seized power and formed a new government with Sarasas Prahad as Prime Minister. However, the army, the air force and the police remained loyal to the abducted Prime Minister and on 30 June heavy fighting took place around the naval headquarters. During the fighting, Pibul Songgram managed to escape and subsequently resumed power early on 1 July.
Background to the conflict between CPT and the Thai government
The earliest communist activities in Thailand date back to the late 1920s and were mainly conducted by ethnic Chinese and ethnic Vietnamese. CPT (Communist Party of Thailand) was formed on 1 December 1942 as the Thai section of the Chinese Communist party. The group continued to be heavily influenced by China and also received various support from China. Following a successful military coup in Thailand in 1947, the Thai government increased its anti-communist measures and CPT went underground. Little was heard from the party during the following years and the first recorded stated goal of incompatibility was announced during the party’s 3rd congress in 1961. It was stated that it had “adopted a resolution to follow the path of seizing political power by force, by encircling the cities from the rural area”. After the congress in 1961, CPT stepped up the propaganda and recruitment in the rural areas. Furthermore, in 1962, a small, pro-CPT, radio station, VOPT (Voice of the People of Thailand), began broadcasting from the Chinese province of Yunnan. The broadcasts consisted of communist propaganda and anti-Thai government messages in Thai-language. Radio Hanoi and Radio Beijing also broadcasted similar messages.
After CPT’s 3rd congress, information about the movement’s activities was scare for several years. Contemporary sources stated that it was not until four years later that the group increased its military activities. The number and intensity of the clashes between the government forces and communist guerrillas eventually escalated in the mid 1970s and 1974 was the first year in which the conflict reached the threshold of 25 battle-related deaths.
The armed conflict intensifies in the 1970s
The clashes between government troops and CPT (Communist Party of Thailand) increased in the mid 1970s, with 1974 as the first year in the conflict to reach the threshold of 25 battle-related deaths. The following years were characterised by mostly low-scale fighting, although there were a few instances of heavy battles with mainly the local police, concentrated largely in the northern and north-eastern parts of Thailand. The government responded to the activities by sending military troops to the areas and declaring Martial law in nearly 30 provinces bordering Laos and Cambodia in 1975.
In October 1976, the conflict dynamics changed when the government was ousted in a military coup. Shortly afterwards, the constitution was suspended and the opposition parties were forced underground. Following this coup, CPT launched a new propaganda campaign, posing themselves as the real defenders of the nation. The Thai communist radio station which broadcasted from China VOPT (Voice of the People of Thailand) was particularly active in spreading this message as well as to call upon people who “loved democracy and justice” to unite against the common enemy. The support for CPT increased after the coup, especially among students, labour unionist, intellectuals and some of the opposition parties. From late 1976 and onwards, CPT substantially increased its military activities. In 1979, CPT reached a peak in troops size and was able to mobilise up to 12 600 troops.
CPT weakened in the early 1980s
Since the 1960s, there had been recurring reports about CPT (Communist Party of Thailand) receiving vast support from mainly China but also from North Vietnam and Laos. In the mid-1970s, following the Khmer Rouge’s victory in Cambodia in 1975, support was reported also from Cambodia. The support reportedly consisted of mainly weapons, funds, training and the granting of temporary sanctuaries for CPT rebels. However, following deteriorating relations between the neighbouring communist governments, CPT began to receive less and less external support from its allies towards the end of the 1970s. The substantial decrease in supplies and the loss of sanctuary in Laos and Cambodia were some of several factors that contributed to the weakening of CPT in the early 1980s. The deteriorating relations between China and Vietnam (following China’s invasion of Vietnam in 1979) also created a rift within CPT, leading to occasional clashes between pro-Chinese and pro-Vietnamese groupings. Furthermore, despite increased support for CPT following the military coup in 1976, the group failed to create a mass-mobilisation of the mainly peasant population in the northern and north-western parts of Thailand.
At the same time as CPT was facing several internal challenges as well as a decreasing external support, the government stepped up its campaign to thwart the communist rebels. Several large-scale offensives were launched in the beginning of the 1980s, leading to heavy defeats for CPT. In 1980 the government also presented a new political strategy, including an offer of amnesty to all rebels. The following year CPT appeared to have lost considerable strength and by the end of 1982, the troop strength had decreased to fewer than 4000, compared to 12 600 in 1979. The amnesty offered by the government was reported to have been a major factor behind the drastic fall in troop size.
After 1982, there was not enough evidence to consider the conflict between CPT and the Thai government as active, that is at least 25 battle-related deaths in the conflict during one year. Although CPT was not completely defeated in 1982, there were only a few reports of clashes in the following years. Thus, the conflict was seen as terminated due to low activity in 1982.
