---
title: Religious Oppression poster, No. 171a (Thai poster distributed in Bangkok)
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/religious-oppression-poster-171a-masked-priests-thai-1954/
description: A photograph of two men in a New York room with white cloth hoods over their heads, on a yellow ground, captioned in Thai as Ukrainian Catholic priests
section: Collection
---

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3. Religious Oppression poster, No. 171a

[![Religious Oppression poster, No. 171a, 1954 US poster: A photograph of two men in a New York room with white cloth hoods over](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/religious-oppression-poster-171a-masked-priests-thai-1954.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/religious-oppression-poster-171a-masked-priests-thai-1954.jpg)

# Religious Oppression poster, No. 171a (Thai poster distributed in Bangkok)

A photograph of two men in a New York room with white cloth hoods over their heads, on a yellow ground, captioned in Thai as Ukrainian Catholic priests masked to protect relatives behind the 'Iron Curtain' while telling the press of Communist oppression of Catholics in Soviet Russia. The tell is testimonial: anonymous witnesses are offered as proof, and the caption supplies all the context.

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Fear appeal](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/fear-appeal/) [Testimonial](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/testimonial/) [Card stacking](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/card-stacking/)

## Text on the object

Original (Thai) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
ใน นคร นิวยอร์ก นักบวช แห่ง นิกาย คาธอลิค ใน ยูเกรน สวม
หน้ากากไว้ เพื่อ มิให้ รู้ว่า เป็นใคร มิฉะนั้น จะ เป็น ภัย เกิด ขึ้น แก่
สหาย และ ครอบ ครัว ของตน ที่ อยู่หลัง "ม่าน เหล็ก" นักบวช
ทั้งสอง นี้ กำ ลัง เล่าให้ พวก หนังสือพิมพ์ ฟัง ถึง พวก คอมมูนิสต์
กดขี่ ศาสนา คาธอลิค ในโซเวียต รัสเซีย
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
In New York City, priests of the Catholic church from Ukraine wear masks over their faces so that it will not be known who they are, otherwise danger would come to their friends and families who are behind the "Iron Curtain". These two priests are telling the press about the Communists' oppression of the Catholic religion in Soviet Russia.
```

Thai is printed with irregular word spacing, reproduced as it appears; reading by eye.

[← Religious Oppression poster 171g: Kalmyk monks and Chinese parade (Thai poster distributed in Bangkok)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/religious-oppression-171g-kalmyk-monks-china-parade-thai-1954/) [Religious Oppression poster, No. 171b (Thai poster distributed in Bangkok) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/religious-oppression-poster-171b-buddha-statue-thai-1954/)

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- [Miniature of Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, Les Passages d'outremer (BnF Fr. 5594, fol. 19r)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passages-doutremer-council-of-clermont-colombe-1474/) (France · 1474 · Testimonial, Fear appeal). Content note: Medieval religious imagery and a French text describing alleged killings and captivity of eastern Christians, as used to argue for the First Crusade; the text is shown as written.
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- [Gazette of the United States, "The Jeffersoniad" no. VIII, 14 August 1800](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/gazette-us-jeffersoniad-1800/) (United States · Aug 14, 1800 · Name-calling, Fear appeal)
- [Tyrants Prostrate, Liberty Triumphant (pro-Polk cartoon on Dorr), 1844](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/tyrants-prostrate-liberty-triumphant-polk-1844/) (United States · 1844 · Name-calling, Fear appeal). Content note: Speech balloons contain anti-Catholic and nativist wording ('the ruins of Popery') in the mouths of the Whig figures, written by a Democratic cartoonist and shown unaltered.
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