A Momentary Indiscretion

1972 was a tumultuous year for Thailand. The Cold Ward was at its height as the shadow of Communism grew across Southeast Asia. Thai leaders watched anxiously as President Nixon gradually withdrew American troops from Vietnam. The Pathet Lao was threatening monarchy rule in Laos and the Khmer Rouge battled the government of Cambodia. Even within its own borders, guerillas from the Communist party of Thailand regularly clashed with the Thai army and broadcast radio messages of revolution to the Thai people. University students began growing their hair long and protesting Thai foreign policy, including the US military presence in Thailand. Everywhere it seemed that the existing social, economic, and religious order was under attack.

In June of that year, four Mormon Elders from Nakhorn Sawan province traveled north to Sukhothai province to spend their preparation day touring the ancient city. Sukhothai is considered the birthplace of the Thai nation, the kingdom that existed before Ayuthaya and Bangkok. It was the home of Ramkhamhaeng, the legendary king who invented the Thai alphabet and presided over unprecedented peace and prosperity. The ruins of Sukhothai are sacred to Thais and have been declared a UNESCO World heritage site.

(Caption says: One American missionary poses on head of Buddha, another takes a picture. Both narrowly escape being lynched by angry mob.)

As they toured the ruins and posed for pictures, the group's greenie decided to climb up on the Buddha and pose for a picture sitting on its head. Even though all missionaries in Thailand are warned about the cultural sensibilities of both head and feet in Thailand, none of the other three objected to his actions. His trainer took the picture and the group continued on with their excursion.

Upon returning to Nakhorn Sawan, the trainer dropped off the roll of film with a local developer. When the owner of the store saw the photos, he was so incensed that he sent the pictures to several newspapers. On July 12, 1972 Siam Rat printed the infamous photos that changed both the church's status in Thailand and these young men's lives forever. The newspaper Thai Rat carried these photos on their front page for five straight days.

(Captions: Two Americans hide their faces while being sentenced for disrespecting Buddhism. Taxi driver furious he had to drive farangs. Missionaries receive death threats and must be placed in solitary confinement for our safety.)

Having only skimmed the story briefly, I'm not sure exactly when and why the Elders were arrested. After this publicity it became impossible for them to go out in public in Nakhorn Sawan. It may be that they eventually turned themselves into the police for protection. At night groups of people would gather to throw rocks at the house they were living in. They received death threats. When they were finally jailed they had to be separated from other inmates so they weren't attacked or lynched.

(Photo bottom center of Elders in handcuffs: Americans found guilty of disrespecting Buddhism, sentenced to six months in prison.)

The judge assigned to their case did not accept ignorance as an excuse. Because they had come to Thailand to teach about religion, he said, they should have been more familiar with Buddhism and its cultural sensibilities. Buddhism was the cultural foundation of Thai society, and their actions threatened to undermine that foundation. He sentenced the greenie and his trainer to six months in jail.

It was a harsh punishment in deed for such a momentary indiscretion. I would guess that today such an offense would warrant deportation at most. But because of the high-profile nature of the case, the judge probably felt he had to make and example of the missionaries. A strict ruling was necessary to protest Buddhism's status as the religious cornerstone of Thai culture. Societies can behave like animals. When they are threatened they lash out at enemies, real or perceived. Sometimes they invent enemies to defeat, giving them a enhanced feeling of control over their situation.

One can not help but feel sorry for these two missionaries, whose names (which I purposely omit) will forever be associated with the most embarassing episode for the church here in Thailand. This is not the experience you expect when you receive your mission call. For decades, Protestant ministers have used this event as an excuse to continue to deny the LDS church from receiving official recognition as a religion in Thailand. Even when I was a missionary, twenty-two years after the fact, I still met the occassional person who would say "I remember you, you're the guys who sat on that Buddha in Sukhothai."

To this day there are still no missionaries in Nakhorn Sawan or Sukhothai.