The Anglo-Siamese Treaty - 10 March 1909

The Anglo-Siamese Treaty was ratified on 10th of March 1909, it was a remarkable historical event in the Malay Peninsula. Without the consent of Malay rulers and its people, the treaty was an agreement between the British, and Siam which consequently resulted in transferring of Siam suzerainty of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu to British. The British, however, renounced Patani’s sovereignty and legitimized Siam occupation of Patani.

Prior to the treaty, Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham, the governor of Malay colonies at that time was aware of the Siam’s injustice and mistreatment inflicted upon Patani’s rulers and its people. The last Raja of Patani, Tengku Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin wrote a letter asking for help from the British governor only to learn that the governor favors the Siamese side and the Raja was dethroned and later jailed in Phitsanulok prison

The British’s “Divide and Rule” strategy was effective in controlling their colonies around the world, it was also obnoxious in the case of Malay Peninsula in the sense that Siam eventually attained its control on the Patani while British remained influential on the rest of Malay states. When the Malay Raja’ displeasures were less audible, the British could ultimately focus on its own interest.

Therefore, the treaty should be recognized as the root cause of on-going conflict in Patani. With reference to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514, it declares that “All people have the right to self-determination.” The people of Patani have the right to freely pursue their political status and hence, the nullification of the treaty is a milestone in restoring peace in Patani.

Sumber : SDA - Sheikh Daud Academy, 10 Maret 2019.