Tiwagorn Withiton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Activist
- farmer
- engineer
Tiwagorn Withiton | |
|---|---|
ทิวากร วิถีตน | |
| Born | 31 October 1975 Khon Kaen, Thailand |
| Education | KMUTNB (B.Eng.) |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Monarchy reform activist |
Tiwagorn Withiton (Thai: ทิวากร วิถีตน; RTGS: Thiwakorn Withiton; born 31 October 1975) is a Thai political and human rights activist,[1] farmer and engineer. He is one of the first political activists in Thailand that openly challenge the country's taboo, harsh punishment by the Monarchy defamation law, by publishing his photo of him wearing a printed 'I lost faith in the Monarchy' T-shirt.[2]
He has encouraged people to wear it because it stated a sentiment, not defamation. It went viral on social media, but later, Internal Security Operations Command took him to Psychiatric Hospital. It is one of the causes to start the 2020–2021 Thai protests' second wave protests, the largest demonstration since the 2014 Thai coup d'état, demanding he be released from involuntary hospitalization.[1] His movement is regarded as one of the biggest turning points of Thailand political landscape, earned him the person of the year 2020 by Prachatai.[2]
Tiwagorn was born in the village of Don Chang in Mueang Khon Kaen District of Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand. In 1993, he attended an electrical engineering program in communication engineering and computer at King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, and graduated in 1998 to become an engineer in an IT company in Bangkok.[2]
2006 coup and 2014 coup
In 2007, he realized the 2006 Thai coup d'état did not make the country better. He came out to be one of the protesters in the Saturday Anti-Dictator Group movement by Suchart Nakbangsai. A political resistance was beginning in which he was involved in an online group talk 'Ratchadamnoen Camfrog' group, evolved from 'Pantip Ratchadamnoen' discussion web board.
He was in the 2010 Thai political protests and remained in the 2010 Thai military crackdown, after that he continued going out to protest with the Red Sunday Group by Sombat Boongam-anong. He created an online group talk 'RedTalk' (later 'FreedomTalk') for Red Shirts people.
At the end of 2010, he announced to leave the Red Shirts group to his friends, one of his was a well-known activist, Kritsuda Khunasen. He quit a job, did a charity by building takraw court under Rama 7 bridge. He left Bangkok to Khon Kean after the 2014 Thai coup d'état and discontinued his activism by focusing on farming in his home.