Ritualising ontological (In)security narrative: evidence from thailand’s United Nations’ celebrations during the cold war

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How do state leaders utilise a national ritual to remedy their sense of ontological insecurity, especially when there is a sudden need to recalibrate foreign policy? Despite the growing prominence of the ontological security approach in International Relations (IR), there is a notable lack of discussion on the relationship between ontological security, ritual, and narrative, particularly in empirical studies. Building on the ‘ritual-approach literature’ in IR, this paper argues that national celebration, ceremony, and festival are the performative rituals that mirror the state’s ontological security and insecurity. This paper substantiates the argument by examining the case of Thailand’s United Nations Celebration Day at the dawn of the Cold War. During the Second World War, Thailand allied with the Axis powers before narrowly escaping harsh punishments after the end of the war to cement strong ties with the US and the victor powers. To demonstrate that the Thai nation became one with the United Nations’ peaceful cause, the Thai government organised the United Nations Celebration Day to inform the world of its pacifistic intent and to reconstruct the new foreign policy narrative.