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Weng Tojirakarn

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Weng Tojirakarn
Weng Tojirakarn (2011)
Born (1951-04-01) 1 April 1951 (age 73)
Thailand
Alma materMahidol University (MD)[1]
Occupation(s)Physician
Politician
Political partyPheu Thai Party
SpouseAsst. Prof.Thida Thavornseth[2]

Weng Tojirakarn (Thai: เหวง โตจิราการ, RTGS: Weng Tochirakan, Thai pronunciation: [wěːŋ toːt͡ɕìʔraːkaːn]; born 1 April 1951) is a Thai medical doctor and politician. He is an activist of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), colloquially known as "Red Shirts" and since 2011 a member of parliament for the Pheu Thai Party.

Life and political activism

Youth and activity in the democracy movement

Born into a family of poor Chinese immigrants, Weng Tojirakarn was admitted to the prestigious Triam Udom Suksa School for his outstanding intelligence. He studied at the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University and was the secretary-general of the Medical Students Centre of Thailand. Weng considered himself a disciple of the Buddhist monk Buddhadasa Bhikku and thinks that the influence of Buddhadasa's teachings has motivated him to his political and social activism.[3] He participated in the pro-democracy uprising in October 1973 and the student protests in 1976 that led to the Thammasat University massacre and the return to military rule.

Like other radical intellectuals, Weng and his wife, the microbiologist and pharmacist Asst. Prof.Thida Thavornseth, joined the illegal Communist Party of Thailand and fled to their camps in the jungle.[4] During the following six years, Weng was part of the Communists' medical unit that cured wounded comrades. After the defeat of the Communists, he returned to Bangkok. In 1992, he joined the protests against the military-installed government of Suchinda Kraprayoon, that are recalled as the Black May. He co-founded the Confederation for Democracy.[3]

Opposition against Thaksin

Weng Tojirakarn opposed the administration of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. In particular, he criticised the "custom-tailored" law that allowed Thaksin and his family to sell multi-billion baht shares of their company Shin Corp to investors from Singapore without paying taxes. He joined the citizens' movement against Thaksin alongside Chamlong Srimuang who had already been the spokesman of the democracy movement of 1992. The anti-Thaksin movement became the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the so-called "Yellow Shirts", but Weng increasingly alienated from the demands of his political friends. He finally broke with the PAD when they called for a new prime minister appointed by the king under evasion of the parliament's right of nomination (what the king declined after all), or military intervention. Weng perceived demands like these as undemocratic and accused the "Yellow Shirts" of developing in a neo-Nazi-like, selfish, corrupt and terrorist direction.[3]

Activism in the UDD

After the 2006 Thai coup d'état, that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin, and the installation of a military-backed government, Weng approached the opposite political camp, the pro-Thaksin "Red Shirts".[3] After the fierce "Red Shirts" protests against the government from March to May 2010, and the bloody military crackdowns in April and May, Weng, alongside other Red Shirt leaders, surrendered to the police on 18 May and was arrested.[5] On 1 December 2010, his wife Thida was made chairwoman of the UDD.[6] Weng was released on bail terms on 22 February 2011.[7] He was elected member of parliament on the winning Pheu Thai Party list in the 2011 election.[8]

In 2014 he issued a verdict in the killing of Kamol Duangphasuk, a well known Thai poet who was killed in his own car.[9]

References

  1. ^ https://www.thairath.co.th/person/4496
  2. ^ https://www.nacc.go.th/download_acc/asset_report/s_201110011715320.pdf
  3. ^ a b c d "Operating to save Thai democracy: Put on a red shirt and join a political rally, and chances are you'll be accused of taking a bribe". The Nation. December 28, 2008. Archived from the original on December 10, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  4. ^ "Verdict on Thaksin billions unlikely to heal divide". BBC News. February 26, 2010. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  5. ^ Wood, Andrew (May 18, 2010). "Surrender in Bangkok - Ratchaprasong is clear". ETN. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  6. ^ Charoenpo, Anucha (December 2, 2010). "It's a new era for diehard UDD supporters". Bangkok Post. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  7. ^ England, Vaudine (February 22, 2011). "Thailand's red-shirt leaders freed on bail". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  8. ^ "Red Shirt leaders with endorsed MP status report to parliament". Pattaya Mail. August 2, 2011. Archived from the original on August 30, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  9. ^ "Poet's Shooting Death Raises Worries of Rising Tensions in Thailand". Voice of America. April 24, 2014. Archived from the original on August 30, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
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