Words that will resound
The history-rich minutes of Siam Society meetings since 1904 have been added to Unesco's 'Memory of the World' Registry
Filled with learned discussion about history, the recorded minutes of meetings of the Siam Society have earned a place on the Unesco “Memory of the World” Registry, it was announced last month.
A “World Heritage” list for important documents rather than locales, the registry has also gained the Maha Lawkamarazein (Kuthodaw) inscriptions from Myanmar and the Pages of Testimony Collection known as “Yad Vashem Jerusalem” from Israel. Bolivia and Cuba donated key manuscripts from the life of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. In all, there are 54 new additions.
The Minute Books of Thailand’s esteemed Siam Society date from 1904 to 2004. They contain the board members’ discussions about events, projects, obstacles, personalities and organisations of an international and intellectual nature.
The society regards its motto, “Knowledge gives rise to Friendship”, adopted in 1924, as a forerunner to the current, widespread concept of regional and global organisations pooling efforts. It reflects idealism found in the records of society transactions over the century. The knowledge it spread expanded to cover fields as diverse as language and literature, law, archaeology, ethnic expressions in word, crafts, music and beliefs, natural science and medicine, conservation and tourism.
The friendship aspect, through the society’s network under its various sections, has also grown in quantity and quality, as well as in diversity, in terms of nationalities, age groups and fields of interest.
Siam Society president Bilaibhan Sampatisiri says having the group’s meeting minutes inscribed on the Unesco registry “is a great honour”.
“It recognises the society’s role in the country’s history, and especially in international cooperation on academic and cultural topics.”
Unesco established the Memory of the World in 1992 “to preserve these recorded treasures of humanity and mobilise resources so that future generations can enjoy this legacy that is preserved in the major libraries, archives and museums across the globe”.
The registry currently contains some 400 items, including the Bayeux Tapestry from France and original editions of the Gutenberg Bible, Britain’s Magna Carta and the film “The Wizard of Oz”.
The Siam Society minutes are Thailand’s fourth entry. They join the King Ramkhamhaeng Inscription (listed in 2003), documents on King Chulalongkorn’s transformation of Siam (2009) and the 1,431 inscriptions of Wat Pho (2011).
