Factors Influencing the 1909 Treaty Negotiation on Malaya Territory between Siam and Britain

Abstract

The border agreement between Siam and Britain in 1909 divided the Malaya territory into two parts, one is the three southernmost provinces and Satun province in Thailand, the other is the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah in presentday Malaysia. The agreement not only divides the land but also separates the same ethnic group of peoples into an immensely different livelihood. This article examines crucial factors influencing the 1909 border agreement between Siam and Britain. It argues that there are five factors influencing the agreement, i.e., nationhood and ethnicity, a successor state, the economy and administration, the state’s Image, and British imperial policy toward Malaya. Siam claimed her supreme power over the Pattani Kingdom (present day the three southernmost provinces of Thailand), whereas the other Malay states were just considered tributary states (‘Prathesrach’). In fact, the British policy was not aimed to annex the Malaya territory on the Siamese side. Therefore, Britain chose to make a secret convention with Siam in 1897. The convention states that the Malay territory in Siam would be the British sphere of influence. In 1907, Siam asked to cede her Malay territory in exchange for the cancellation of the secret convention, so that she could go with the construction of the southern railway. The negotiation concluded in 1909, when Siam agreed to transfer the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis and adjacent islands to Britain. However, Britain cancelled the secret convention as well as the extraterritorial jurisdiction over Siam, and then gave a loan for the construction of the Siamese railway. According to the agreement, Siam still keeps some Malay territories including Monthons (circles) of Pattani, Satun (splitting from Kedah) and Tak Bai (splitting from Kelantan).