Memorializing Thai Democracy in the May 1992 People’s Uprising Memorial

Abstract

The 1992 Black May, also known as Bloody May, refers to the series of protests against the military regime of Suchinda Kraprayoon, which resulted in military violence that killed and injured hundreds of people. To commemorate this significant chapter in the democratic history of Thailand and memorialize the fallen heroes of this movement, the May 1992 People’s Uprising Memorial (ʻAnusō̜n sathān pruessapa prachā tham), was constructed in Santiporn Park, and underwent a major development nearly three decades after the tragic event. This qualitative study delves into historical accounts, including multiple news articles, pertinent documents, social media posts, and a limited number of English-language references documenting the construction of the May 1992 People’s Uprising Memorial to explore the concept of democracy as portrayed in its structure. It also examines the annual commemoration of the May 1992 democratic movement and how people continuously reinforce democracy by commemorating and observing the uprising at the memorial. Drawing on Pierre Nora’s concept of les lieux de mémoire, this paper argues that the structure, as a “site of memory,” not only commemorates the heroes of democracy but also embodies the democratic struggles of the Thai people. It asserts the mportance of the space in preserving the legacies of the May 1992 democratic movement and its contribution to public memory and discourses on Thai democracy, including both traditional and Western school discourses. By unraveling the complexities of democracy within this structure, this work highlights the role of public monuments in remembering the past and shaping the future of democracy in Thailand. The deliberate efforts by the relatives of the fallen heroes and the activists of that time to memorialize the May 1992 event through the memorial’s construction emphasize the structure’s enduring relevance in Thai public memory and democracy.