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history.
But why it must be the only former generation who have the right
to claim for
being owner of the memory?. Why do some of them have excluded
others perception
with time and space; for example, age and involvement in the
event?. I would like to
ask these questions, which still have no answer, to the former
generation.
It is so impossible to take myself back into the real time and
space in the history (except
by riding the time machine) in order to meet the expectations of
someone of the
October generation. I certainly agree that one who manages this
memorial should
have sufficient knowledge and perception about this historical
event. However, I
absolutely do not believe that the latter generation will deeply
attain the more accurate
and valuable memory, only if they were born earlier and exactly
join the historicalevent.
Memorial for Empty Memory
The crucial mission of my taskforce is to make the October 14
Memorial lively and
attractive for public, particularly the young generation. But
after the opening ceremony
last 3 year, this place has been still the building with no
contents.
The memorial itself does not convey the spirit and essence of
the October 14 event if
the contents within are blank. An important reason is nobody
makes a decision whatmessages and stories should be put in this
place because ones who were the opposite
side in the past are still alive. Most members of the committee
of October 14
Foundation and some of the October generation, especially who
are the politician,
seem to be worried about the conflict. Thus the contents have
been remain undone.
The October generation have called for constructing the October
14 Memorial for
28 years. They finally have been successful. But the achievement
is such a lifeless
memorial. None of young generation will perceive the great
history of October event
once they step into this memorial. If the memorial has been
constructed in order to
commemorate people courage and sacrifice, and desire the next
generation to memorize
this important event, it has not been successful yet.
Memorial Among the Memory Gap Between Generations
However, I still would like to see this memorial will be the
learning center about Thai
politic for youth, like the classroom outside the school. I
imagine the contents are
attractive to the viewers and motivate eagerness to learn more,
without limitation of
time and space. Nevertheless, the process of making contents
(such as brain-storm
meeting, planning, implementing etc.) may take time within 3-5
years from now.
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Among the process, I think we should find the answer of a few
interesting questions, for
example; how can we understand and explain the so-called memory
of each
generation? how can we eliminate or reduce the memory gap
between generations?
Under the context of Thai society, my generation may be called
the transitional
generation if being given the October 14, 1973 is the beginning
of the period. In fact,
my generation, who have been matured and perceived some
political ideas around the
mid 1980s, should be the bridging generation so that the gap
between two generations
is reduced. But we can not do that. Why?
Because we do not understand what is the memory of both
generations. Only thing I
know about the new generation, ones who have been matured around
the mid 1990s,
is that they deny an absolute idea or instant conclusion. This
characteristic is similar tous, the transitional generation. I
think most of the new generation, being not more than
30 years old now, know both 1973 and 1976 events well enough.
They may feel it like
an exiting and romantic narrative, but not the social memory.
Therefore, some of them
are confused about the correct date and mix two events into one.
Such sense and
phenomenon are the reason why I feel worried about the negative
attitude of the former
generation to the later generation and the blankness of the
October 14 Memorial.
As long as some of the October generation have thought that
history of the October
events are completed and untouchable, the October 14 Memorial is
meaningless. Noneof the latter generation will be interested in
such a completed and untouchable history.
Since it is so boring!
By the same token, if the contents contain of stories that are
so perfect without doubt or
argument, the memorial tends to be lifeless. Because it is no
need to learn anything from
the past by the later generation. And finally, this memorial
will become a place for the
tourists in the inner Bangkok.
Last 6 months, one of the elder talked something to me and I was
still. Now I start agree
with him, especially some words he said:
When there is no memorial, I would like to see it as the
heritage for the next
generation. But when the memorial was finished, without
attraction and contents, I think
it should better not to be constructed.
I hope I will not talk something like this to the younger in the
future.
Remark : This paper is improved from which presented in
Argentina in 2002, the
seminar topic is Memory Across Generations : The Future of Never
Again. Some
information may be out-of-date because, this year, the project
plan about the contents in
the memorial is more progress. The aim of the October 14
Memorial in the near future
is the historical museum focusing on the October 14, 1973 event
(other democratic
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