At a glance, the endorsement by the state of the Mahakan Fort conservation plan proposed by professional architects and experts seems like a breakthrough in the long-standing land conflict between the authorities and residents. In the new development, the Committee on the Conservation of Rattanakosin and Old Towns, through a panel under Borvornvate Rungrujee, which formerly distanced itself from the issue, has just stepped forward to find a solution.
The panel earlier this month approved the conservation plan put forward by the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA), which proposed that some of the houses, at least 24, once doomed for demolition under the city hall's plan to build a public park, be preserved and developed into a living museum.
Mr Borvornvate said the panel gave the nod to the plan as it recognises the historical and architectural values of those structures which have been part of the fort area for centuries. Many of them represent various styles of houses in different Rattanakosin times.
It is also the first time that City Hall has admitted that a policy change is possible. Previously, the agency had adamantly insisted it was bound by a land appropriation decree to turn the five-rai area into a park under the Rattanakosin Old Town Development Plan since the early 1990s. Now it appears a museum is possible.
With the Borvornvate panel's new instruction, City Hall is to map out a conservation work plan in response to the ASA proposal, an extended part of the so-called Mahakan Vernadoc (2016), a measured work technique employed by architects to highlight values of old structures as part of conservation effort.
However, there are some key disagreements between the ASA and the city administrators.
The current atmosphere of house No. 99. (Photos courtesy of the Association of Siamese Architects)
The possible development under the living museum.
The first involves the future of the embattled community that still faces an eviction threat. City administrators still want to kick them out, disregarding their communal rights. Authorities are due to resume demolition work tomorrow morning, while the entire community will be booted out by the end of next month.
On the opposite side, the ASA and civic groups think the residents, who have proved their willingness and ability to preserve the fort area, should be allowed to stay if the area is developed as a living museum. In their opinion, the fort residents, with their strong conservation spirit, are the real value of the fort and a major component of a living museum.
Another disagreement is about the number of houses to be preserved. The city administration said only 16, not 24 as suggested by the experts, are worth keeping. The discrepancy should be a cause for concern. If City Hall has its way, we may lose this piece of our architectural heritage forever.
It appears that the Borvornvate panel wants to give City Hall, which it said is the authorised agency, a free hand in handling the Mahakan conflict, but that should not be the case. After all, the city's administrators have failed to prove their knowledge or ability regarding old-town area management. The two issues are delicate and require careful consideration and wider participation from experts and civic groups.
The fact that the Rattanakosin committee has got involved in the case is a positive sign. In a media interview, Mr Borvornvate, who is former Fine Arts Department chief, once said the fort area has been a lively place as there have been communities living in the vicinity since it was built in the early Rattanakosin period. He also said the residents may be allowed to stay if they can prove that their existence does not do the fort, listed as an archaeological site, any harm.
While the origin of fort residents is still under debate, as some are tenants, not owners, most of the residents have lived in the area for years or decades. More importantly, they deserve credit for maintaining the area, known as the birthplace of likay folk performance in the capital, keeping it lively. With their strenuous efforts, Mahakan Fort is now a tourist spot, attracting local and foreign visitors.
It should be noted that the residents have accepted a key condition that they will never be granted with ownership rights, since the BMA will continue to be the legal landowner. There is another strict condition that in order to obtain occupancy rights, the residents are required to follow conservation rules. Those violating the rules will have to pack and leave.
Again, the Borvornvate panel should oversee the rules to ensure that the fort will be well maintained if it is to become a living museum. Mr Borvornvate, given his work background, should have a good understanding of museums and be able to differentiate between a dead and a lively one.
As a policymaking unit, his panel should take the matter in its own hands rather than leaving it entirely to City Hall.
It's time the panel realised that this is a chance to make the right decision.