The Devil's Discus
 | |
| Author | Rayne Kruger |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Crime,Politics,Psychology,History |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Cassell& Co., Ltd. |
Publication date | 1964, Second Edition 2009 |
| Publication place | England |
| Media type | Print Hardcover/Paperback (Second Edition) |
| Pages | 260 p. |
| ISBN | 978-988-97752-5-4(Paperback, Second Edition) |
The Devil's Discusis an investigation into the death of KingAnanda Mahidol(Rama VIII) of Siam (laterThailand) by English-South AfricanauthorRayne Kruger.[1]
Book summary
[edit]The book comprises four main sections which are each further divided into chapters. The section "Before" serves as an introduction to King Ananda's death, to Siam and to King Ananda's background.
The next section "The Life and Death of Ananda" is ten chapters in length and details the main events of King Ananda's life, from his birth inHeidelbergin 1925 to his death by a single gunshot in mysterious circumstances at Bangkok'sRoyal Palaceon 9 June 1946. This section introduces the main characters surrounding Ananda throughout his life and who subsequently become subjects for investigation following his death.
The third section "The Trial" has eight chapters and summarises the events and arguments of the subsequent regicide trial against three Palace officials, including two appeals the trial lasted more than six years and resulted in the execution of all three defendants in 1955.
The final section "Who Killed Ananda?" is Kruger's own analysis of the evidence surrounding Ananda's death, leading him to the conclusion that the only satisfactory explanation is suicide. He supports this theory with the revelation of a love affair between the young King and a fellow law student in Switzerland,Marylene Ferrari,a relationship which would not have been acceptable to Siam's royalist institutions.
Publication history
[edit]The Devil's Discuswas first published in 1964 byCassell.The Thai government banned the book as soon as it was published and Kruger was banned from further entry to Thailand.[2]
A Thai translation of the book titledKongchak Pisat(Thai: กงจักรปีศาจ) by Chalit Chaisithiwet (Thai: ร.อ.ชลิต ชัยสิทธิเวช) was produced for submission as evidence in a 1970 defamation lawsuit brought byPridi Banomyongagainst MRKukrit Pramojand his newspaperSiam Rath.The translator was the elder brother of Pridi's secretary,Vacharachai Chaisithiwet.It was secretly published by two Thammasat students in 1974 and reprinted in 1977, and circulated behind closed doors in Thailand. A local printing house involved with this Thai edition was burnt down.[3]This translation was eventually officially banned in May 2006.[4]In 2016, the Supreme Court of Thailand ruled that selling this book constituted an offence oflèse-majestéunder section 112 of the Thai Penal Code and sentenced a 67-year-old man to two-year imprisonment on account thereof.[5]
Through the organisation Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT),[6]the English text was reprinted in November 2009 by DMP Publications, Hong Kong.
Critical discussion
[edit]In 2011, journalistAndrew MacGregor Marshallpublished an online article in which he describes the genesis ofThe Devil's Discus:[7]"Krueger wrote it on the suggestion of Prince Subhasvasti, brother ofPrajadhipok’s wife QueenRambhai..... [Subhasvasti] came to trust and respect Pridi as a result of their wartime cooperation...... He believed – that Pridi did something to do with Ananda’s death.The Devil’s Discuswas envisaged as a way of rehabilitating Pridi’s reputation in the hope that he would be able to return from exile and play a leading role in Thai politics once again. "
Marshall's view is that an explanation of Ananda's death is by Pridi, hence he goes on to say "Krueger’s book, published in 1964 after extensive research and considerable assistance from Subhasvasti, in his opinion had the purpose of demolishing the case against Pridi. The problem was that an alternative explanation for Ananda’s death had to be provided. And to conclude that Bhumibol was responsible was, of course, totally unacceptable to the royalist establishment – the book was supposed to enable détente betweenRama IXand Pridi, not to declare full-scale war. So Krueger had to find a way to discard the likeliest explanation – that Bhumibol shot his brother – and promote the only credible alternative conclusion, suicide. "
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Kruger, RayneThe Devil's Discus: The Death of Ananda King of Siam.DMP Publications.ISBN978-988-97752-5-4.
- ^The Times,Obituaries, Rayne Kruger,1 January 2003
- ^The Daily Telegraph,Obituaries, Rayne Kruger,9 January 2003
- ^คำสั่งเจ้าพนักงานการพิมพ์ ที่ ๓/๒๕๔๙ เรื่อง ห้ามการขาย หรือจ่ายแจกและให้ยึดสิ่งพิมพ์(PDF).Royal Gazette(in Thai).123(Special 73 ง): 31. June 27, 2006. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on January 19, 2012.
- ^"ศาลฎีกาจำคุก 2 ปี คนขายหนังสือกงจักรปีศาจ".Prachatai(in Thai). 2016-09-15.
- ^Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT)http://facthai.wordpress /
- ^THAILAND’S MOMENT OF TRUTH, A SECRET HISTORY OF 21ST CENTURY SIAM, #THAISTORY | PART THREE OF FOUR | VERSION 1.0 | 241011http:// zenjournalist