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Year It is a matter of 2004. There were heavy demonstrations for a separate Muslim country ‘Pattani’ in the southern part of Thailand. Police arrested 6 protesting people in the Muslim -dominated Narathivat state. On October 25, more than 2000 Muslims gathered at a police station for his release.
The conflict between separatists and police intensified. Then the PM, Thakasin Shinavatra ordered it to be strictly crushed. The police forcibly grabbed thousands of people, stripped them and tied their hands behind the back. He was sent to an army camp, 150 km away from 26 trucks.
7 hours later, when he was launched in the camp, 78 of them had died of suffocation. The incident was criticized by the Thailand government. Malaysia, who is supporting separatists, also expressed displeasure over this. However, this incident made Thailand popular among the Buddhist dominated public. He felt that Thacsin is the person who can go to any extent to keep the country united.
The same Thacasin’s daughter Pitagatarn Shinavatra is the PM of Thailand, whom PM Modi will meet during a visit to Thailand. Thacasin Shinavatra’s family is the most powerful and influential in the country. The police job -working person will learn how to become so powerful, in the story…
If China’s condition worsened due to civil war, the great grandfather came to Thailand
The year 1850 is concerned. In China, a man named Hong Shuchuan launched a campaign against Buddhism. Hong used to call himself the younger brother of Jesus Christ. He tried to grab the southern region of China by revolting against the King Dynasty.
This led to a fierce civil war in the country and 2 crore people were killed in it. The condition of the country had worsened. In such a situation, a person named Seng Sakhu left the country and came to Siam. Thailand was then called Siam. Seng started a silk cloth business and made a lot of progress.
In 1938, the Saakhu family adopted the ‘Shinavatra’ title to get mixed up in Thai culture. Thacasin is a fifth generation descendant of the Sakhu family. Thacasin was born in 1949. Thaksin’s grandfather Chiang took the silk business of the Sakhu family further and established the ‘Shinavatra Silks’.
Thaksin’s father Loet Shinwatra also carried on his family business further. Also joined politics. Layet was also an MP from 1968 to 1976. This gave Thacasin political identity at an early age.
Entry in business with police, included in the list of richest
Thacsin started his career in the Royal Thai police in 1973. He then went to America on scholarship and obtained masters and doctorates in Criminal Justice there. Then he came to Thailand and reached the post of Lieutenant Colonel in the police department.
While in the police, Thacasin met Potzaman Nawadmareong and both of them got married in 1976 with the consent of the family. Thaksin’s wife was from a very rich family. His grandmother was related to the royal family.
After working for a few years, Thacsin resigned from the police service in 1987 and joined the telecommunication business. He took great advantage of being in a good position in the police, being a son -in -law of a powerful family and his father being in politics.
His company Shin Corporation became the country’s largest telecom operator in the next few years.
Thacasin’s earnings increased so much that he became one of the richest personalities in the country in a few years.
Thus became foreign minister as soon as he entered politics
Due to the father being in politics, political ambitions were already present inside Thacsin. He entered politics in 1994 and joined the bed Dhamma Party (PDP).
This year he was made the Foreign Minister in the coalition government of Thailand. However, he could live in this post for 3 months and the government fell. In 1998, he founded the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party adopting a different route. TRT won about half the seats in the 2001 elections. Thaksin became the 23rd Prime Minister of Thailand.
Thaksin launched cheap health, debt and development schemes for the poor and rural people. These people who considered the king as an incarnation of God, now they started getting closer to Thaksin. This made the Raja’s supporters and a large affluent class that the increasing strength of Thacasin was challenging his traditional power.
Thacsin launched a strict campaign against drugs in 2003. This campaign was named War on Drugs. In just 3 months, more than 2,500 people associated with drugs business were killed. This broke the back of the drug industry in the country. Crime reduced. Thacsin became very popular among the common people, but he was also criticized for human rights.
Muslim demands strictly crushed
In 2004, the Muslim separatist rebellion in southern Thailand intensified. He had been demanding a separate ‘Pattani Desh’ for Muslims for many decades. It was getting hidden support from neighboring Muslim -dominated Malaysia.
In the case related to this, there was a conflict between separatists and police. Thaksin ordered it to be strictly crushed. 85 Muslim separatists died in a single day. Out of this, 78 were killed by suffocation while 7 were shot and killed.
The protesters were taken off their clothes before taking them into the truck and the hands were tied behind the back.
This incident was severely criticized by the government. Malaysia also expressed displeasure over this, but the Buddhist dominated people supported him. He felt that Thacsin could keep the country united and strong and can go to any extent for this.
A year after the incident, general elections were held in Thailand in 2005, which was easily won by Shinavatra. Shinavatra’s party won 377 out of 500 seats and became PM again. Meanwhile, in 2006, Thacsin sold a 49% stake in Shin Corporation to a Singapore company for $ 1.9 billion. For this, Thacsin enacted a law in January 2006.
According to the rules, Thacsin did not pay any profit tax in this deal. Protests against Thacasin began for this and were accused of corruption.
Thakasin took enmity with the king, the coup
Meanwhile, an organization called People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) was established in Thailand. People associated with it started wearing yellow clothes and started rallies against the government. It was called the Yellow shirts movement.
This created political disturbance in the country. Thaksin dissolved Parliament and announced to hold elections again. The opposition boycotted this election. In such a situation, Thacasin’s party won the election easily, but the court declared this election illegal. The then King Bhumibol Advayedej described it as undemocratic and ordered to hold elections again in the country.
The protest against the government in the country intensified. Thacsin still remained in office. Meanwhile, Thacsin went to New York to attend the United Nations meeting. On 19 September 2006, the army attacked his government and demolished his government. His party TRT was dissolved and he was banned from politics.
After Thacasin’s coup, his supporters founded the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) organization. People associated with this started wearing red clothes and started rallies in support of Thacasin. It was called Red Shirts Movement.
Thaksin launched the country’s politics by staying abroad
Thacasin was in danger of arrest when he returned to the country. He took shelter abroad and stayed in exile in Dubai for 15 years. During this time, the effect of Thacsin remained in Thailand politics. In his absence, his younger sister Yingalak Shinavatra entered politics in 2011.
He led the Fu Thai party. Yingalak won the election with an overwhelming majority and became the first woman Prime Minister of Thailand. His government carried forward Thacsin’s policies. In 2014, there were massive protests against Yingalal. Due to this, the army attacked him.
Yingalak was accused of rice subsidy scam and in 2017 he also left Thailand. Both Thacasin and Yingalak were in exile. However, during this time he remained influence in politics. During this time the FU party remained strong in elections.
After 15 years of exile, Thacasin decided to return to Thailand in 2023. He got royal apology within a few days. In 2023, his Fu Thai party formed a coalition government and became the Prime Minister, considered close to Thacasin.
However, 1 year later, the court removed Thawicin from the post of Prime Minister for incorporating a lawyer with a criminal record in the cabinet. 2 days later, Thacasin’s daughter Pitgtarn Shinavatra was made the new PM of the country. However, the Paitagtarn is called the ‘puppet’ of Thacasin Shinavatra.
Pitagtarn Shinavatra with father Thacasin. (File photo)
Usually, whatever people are removed from the post in the coup. They are excluded from politics. They become weak, but Thacasin’s strength continued. Even after suffering 2 coup, he managed to become Prime Minister to his friend and daughter. This is the reason that his opponents also consider him as a real fighter.
Story behind calling king ‘Ram’ in Thailand
Buddhism is prominent in Thailand, but Hinduism has a profound influence on its culture. Ramayana is very popular in Thailand and is called ‘Ramakian’ in Thai language. Ramakian is considered the national book of Thailand. In the Ramayana, Lord Rama is considered an ideal king. The Thai king connects himself to this image, so he was given the title of ‘Ram’.
In Thailand, the king is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and Rama is the seventh incarnation of Vishnu. The national symbol of Thailand is Garuda (ride of Vishnu), which is associated with Rama and symbolizes the power of the monarchy.
Thailand is currently the king of Chakri dynasty in Thailand. This dynasty was founded in 1782 by Fra Buddha Yodfa Chulalok. He was named Rama First. Since then Rama started being added to every king. When Ram I made Bangkok the capital, he promoted Ramakian. The present king Maha Vajiralongkorne is called Rama X, because he is the tenth king of the dynasty.
The ninth king of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn taking a gift from his wife.
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Source Link-
- 1. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/22/profile-billionaire-and-former-thai-pm-thaksin-shinawatra
- 2. https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/10/25/thailand-no-justice-10-years-after-tak-bai-killings
- 3. https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-east-asia/thailand/southern-thailand-problem-paramilitaries
- 4. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/19/as-thailands-thaksin-goes-free-questions-about-his-political-future-loom
- 5. “God’s Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan” by Jonathan D. Spence