Nawaphon

The Nawaphon movement (Thai: ขบวนการนวพล, alternatively transcribed as Navapol, Nawapol, Nawaphol, translating to both "New Force" and "Ninth Force") was a Thai extreme right-wing patriotic and Buddhist organization active during the country's short democratic phase in the mid-1970s.

It was set up by Wattana Kiewvimol in 1974. Wattana had been the head of the Thai Students Association in the United States, when studying at the Seton Hall University. Nawaphon was supported by the Internal Security Operations Command of the Thai military and the Ministry of Interior. The group was said to have links to wealthy businessmen, politicians, the National Security Council and the Thai military intelligence. Nawaphon rallied merchants, businessmen, and monks, that were opposed to social change and democracy, fearing for their possessions. A notable supporter of the organization was the popular monk Kittiwuttho Bhikkhu, who infamously said that killing communists was not a sin. The movement was opposed to parliamentary democracy and campaigned for the three principles Nation, Religion and Monarchy. Nawaphon attracted considerable support due to the common feeling that these national principles were threatened by left-wing forces. In the mid-1970s the movement was reported to have 500,000 followers. Nawaphon played a key role in the anti-leftist agitation that led to the Thammasat University massacre on 6 October 1976, in which members of the organization were involved. After the immediately following military coup re-establishing the military rule, Nawaphon's popularity diminished.

See also

• Red Gaurs
• Village Scouts
• Buddhism and violence
• Criticism of Buddhism#War and violence