suggestion of Prince Devawongse, King Chulalongkorn began to form modern ministries in 1888 to replace centuries-old disorganized Chatusadom central governance. In April 1892, full array of first modern Siamese cabinet was formed, consisting mostly of royal princes. Prince Damrong became Mahatthai Minister of Interior in 1892. Damrong introduced modern bureaucracy and, in 1893, announced establishment of Monthon system that replaced traditional tributary network of semi-independent rulers with levels of territory-based administrative units with centrally-appointed commissioners in charge. Amidst these reforms, however, the French sent gunboats to threaten Bangkok in 1893, prompting Siam to cede all Laos east of Mekong to French Indochina. Treaty terms of October 1893 also established 25-km demilitarized zone along Mekong only on Siamese side. French invasion in 1893 was Siam's nightmare came true as survival of Siam's sovereignty was left at mercy of Anglo-French conflicts. As the British expressed their concerns over French advances on Siam, Anglo-French agreement of 1896 guaranteed Siam's independence as "buffer state" only in Siamese core territories, allowing British intervention in Southern Siam and French intervention in Eastern Siam. King Chulalongkorn embarked on his Grand European Tour in 1897 to promote image of his kingdom as civilized and Westernized not a candidate for colonization. French exertion of authority over 'French Asian subjects' in Siam, namely the Lao, Cambodian and Vietnamese, led to protracted negotiation and continuing French occupation of Chanthaburi. After 1893, Siamese reforms accelerated. Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns, the king's Belgian advisor, convinced Siamese government that contravention of Siam's sovereignty by Western powers was due to fact that Siamese law and legal system, dated to Ayutthaya times, were antiquated and not yet modernized. King Chulalongkorn appointed the Legislative Council in 1897, composing of Western legal specialists, to create modern Siamese law based on civil law system. Monthons continued to form, ending powers of local lords of old. Integration of Lanna began in 1893 and Lanna became a full-fledged Monthon in 1899. Remaining Lao towns in Khorat Plateau west of Mekong were organized into four Monthons. Provincial Administration Act of 1897 defined structure of Monthon system. Centralizing policies were not without resistances. Numerous tribal leaders in Isan who claimed supernatural powers arose in Holy Man's Rebellion in 1901-02. Sultan Abdul Kadir, the last raja of Pattani, sought British support from Singapore and planned insurgency but was caught beforehand as seven Pattani Malay sultanates were integrated into Siam in 1902. The Shan immigrants in Phrae