Cenotaph of Phraya Manopakorn Nititada

Tomb of Phraya Manopakorn Nititada (7 July 2012)


The Cenotaph of Phraya Manopakorn Nititada, within the grounds of Wat Pinbang Onn, in Green Lane, Penang, is the former tomb of the first Prime Minister of Siam as well as the first Siamese Prime Minister to be ousted in a coup.

Phraya Manopakorn Nititada, or simply Phraya Mano, became the Prime Minister of Siam, following the Siamese Coup d'état of 1932 which transformed Siam from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. He was born Kon Hutasingha on 15 July, 1884. Both his parents were Thai of Chinese extraction. The name Manopakorn Nititade was an honorary name, along with the title Phraya, which came from the king (then Rama VI) after he began working for the Ministry of Justice.

An old photograph of Phraya Mano while in Penang

The Revolution of 1932 helped position Phraya Mano as the Prime Minister, partly because the revolutionary leaders regarded him as a neutral and clean figure. However, in taking the job, he soon found himself a puppet of the Khana Ratsadon, the political party that brought about the 1932 coup.

Within less than a year Phraya Mano managed to alienate leaders of the Khana Ratsadon. His dictatorial policies forced Pridi Panomyong, one of the Khana Ratsadon leaders, to flee the country after Pridi's socialist-style reform policies - called the Yellow Cover Dossier - was rejected and publicly humiliated. This was the coup that Phraya Mano staged in April 1933. It was also called the Silent Coup, or "coup by the pen", for Phraya Mano used his powers to arrest those he suspected of having communist sentiments.

Phraya Mano's action led to a backlash. In June 1933, the People's Committee and the military led by Colonel Phraya Phahol Pholphayuhasena staged a counter-coup, overthrowing the Constitutional Government of Phraya Mano. This time it was Phraya Mano who was forced to flee, and he went into exile in Penang. He and his family members and relatives took up residence at Burmah Lane before buying land in the Bagan Jermal area. Today the roads there bears his name, Jalan Mano and Solok Mano, in the Pulau Tikus area. He died on 1 October, 1948, three years after the death of his only son Tum Hutasingha, and was buried at Wat Pinbang Onn, where his tomb is still standing today.

The tomb is however a temporary one, according to Clement Liang of the Penang Heritage Trust. In accordance to Thai burial tradition for VIPs, after a period of internment, the remains would be formally cremated. The ashes are now kept at Wat Pathumwanaram in Bangkok.

Locating the Tomb of Phraya Manopakorn Nititada

The tomb of Phraya Mano is located in the grounds of Wat Pinbang On. As you enter the premises from Green Lane. Park your vehicle and look for the tomb located near the wall, on the north side of the entrance driveway.

Location of Phraya Manopakorn Nititade's Tomb on the map

Acknowledgement
Penang Travel Tips acknowledge with thanks the assistance of Clement Liang in reviewing the content of this article.

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