Page 334 - bศาลยุติธรรมกับความเป็นธรรมทางเพศ

çDo not us the former law that differs from this,é he directed.
Nonetheless, he made clear that the guideline applied only to the women of lower
classes, while women of higher or royal classes were to remain under their parentsû power.

In 1929, a royal consort named Patra stood up against domestic abuse among the
upper classes. Patra was an actress in the troupe of King Rama Vûs brother, Prince
Narathip-prapanpong, and became the princeûs consort. She eventually fled his palace,

unable to bear the domestic violence. The prince sent his men after her but Patra sought
support from other members of the royal family and was given refuge by Prince Ratchaburi,

then the Minister of Justice. She decided to take her accusation of domestic abuse
to court.
In response Prince Narathip-prapanpong composed a play entitled çPhyra Rakaé

(about a runaway hen) to present to the King with the message that Patra had had affairs
with other men.

Exasperated that a member of the royal family could be above the law, Prince Ratchaburi
resigned. Twenty-eight of his Ministry of Justice staff followed him in this action.
Hearing of the news, the king heard ordered three of his brothers to make a

judgement. The result was that Prince Narathip-prapanpong was charged and jailed for
looking down on the office of Prince Ratchaburi, and the script of his play was burnt. Though
Prince Narathip-prapanpong was punished, it wasn’t for the domestic violence that Patra
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was claiming.
çIt is interesting to see how women like Amdaeng Pom, Amdaeng Muan and Patra
resisted tradition in their male-dominated society,é says Kittisak Prokkati of Thammasat

Universityûs Faculty of Law. çQuestions remain as to what triggered their courage; whether
todayûs women have such courage; or whether that courage has been diminished by the

legal system, education or the mistaken attitude of women themselves.é

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