Weng Tojirakarn
Weng Tojirakarn (Thai: เหวง โต จิ รา การ, RTGS: Weng Tochirakan, pronunciation: [ we ː ŋ ː ka ː to ː t͡ɕìʔra n]; born April 1, 1951) is a Thai doctor and politician. He is a leader of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD, colloquially " Red Shirts " ) and since 2011 a member of parliament for the Pheu Thai Party.
Life
Youth and Democracy Movement
Weng Tochirakarn was born into a family of poor Chinese immigrants. Because of his talent, he received a scholarship to the prestigious Triam Udom School. He then studied at Mahidol University Medicine and was chairman of the student council of the university. He was a follower of the Buddhist monk Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and believes that Buddhadasa's teachings have led him to his political and social commitment.
In 1973 he took part in the protests that led to the temporary end of military rule. He led the progressive student organization Medical Students Centre of Thailand. In 1976 he participated in the student protests against the return of the deposed dictator Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn that triggered the massacre at Thammasat University and the re- assumption of power by the military. Like other radical intellectuals joined Weng and his wife, microbiologist Thida Thavornseth then the outlawed Communist Party of Thailand and fled to the mountains. There Weng was part of the medical unit of the Communist Party, treated the wounded comrades. In 1992, he joined the protests against the military government established by the Suchinda Kraprayoon at that arrived as "Black MAY" in the story. He was a co-founder of the Alliance for Democracy.
Beginnings in politics
Weng rejected the Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. In particular, he criticized the "tailor-made " law that allowed Thaksin and his family, tax-free billion-dollar stake in its giant Shin Corp.. to sell to investors from Singapore. He joined at the side of Cham Srimuang, spokesman for the democracy movement was in 1992, the citizens' movement against Thaksin. From this, the People's Alliance for Democracy ( PAD ), the so-called " Yellow Shirts " developed. However, Weng alienated from the demands of his political friends. He finally broke with the PAD, as this one from the King, bypassing the proposal law of Parliament, appointed prime minister called for ( what the king meanwhile refused ). Weng felt such demands as undemocratic and threw the " yellow shirts " prior to evolve in an increasingly neo-Nazi -like direction. After the 2006 coup, which ousted Thaksin and the establishment of a military-sponsored government to Weng approached the opposite political camp, the Thaksin - friendly " red shirts " to.
UDD
On 4 April 2008 he founded the group People's Committee for Reforming the 2007 Constitution, at which time 35 organizations had participated. The aim of the group was a change in the constitution of 2007. It was during the riots in Bangkok in 2010 one of the leading activists. When the army occupied during the riots in Bangkok in 2010 area stormed on May 18, Weng called the demonstrators to surrender in order to avoid further losses. Weng itself arose, like other red-shirt leaders, the police and was arrested. His wife Thida was appointed chairman of the UDD On December 1, 2010. Weng was released on bail on 22 February 2011. In the 2011 general election he was elected on the list of Pheu Thai Party, which also won the election to parliament in total.