democracy. It is now about time to realize that all this is not to serve as its own end, but as a means to larger fulfilment of human progress. As you all are well aware, democracy is not just a matter of form or any ready-made and static formula. So deem it appropriate here to entitle my presentation I Democracy in Development Perspective". Freedom and progress With this end in view and to begin with, I beg you to share with me in what Professor W.F. Wertheim calls emancipation principle", that is to say, Emancipation from the forces of nature and emancipation from domination by privileged individuals or groups go hand in hand to mark human progress (Wertheim 1974 47) The term "emancipation" is very instructive here. And it is not only confined to Western society and culture. It was curiously acknowledged even within the Thai ruling circle in the time of absolutism. To illustrate the point, let me just quote from the words of His Royal Highness, the Minister of Interior and concurrently President of the Privy Council, one of the most powerful figures of his days, some five years before the 1932 Revo