Prinya Thewanaruemitkul

Prinya Thewanaruemitkul (Thai: ปริญญา เทวานฤมิตรกุล) is a former Thai student leader and currently Assistant Rector at Thammasat University. During the 1992 protests against the military-led government that led to Bloody May, Prinya was Secretary-General of the Student Federation of Thailand. [The Nation, [http://groups.google.co.kr/group/soc.culture.thai/tree/browse_frm/month/1992-06/85a3151954a99da4?hl=ko& Meechai: House dissolution is best opinion] , 1 June 1992] He was a student at Thammasat University at the time. Prinya later finished a M.Jus from the University of Göttingen.

Prinya currently lectures in constitutional law and is Assistant Rector for Student Affairs at Thammasat University. [ [http://law.tu.ac.th/Faculty_Teach/education_teach/education_teach1.htm Short biography from Thammasat University website] ] As Vice Rector, he punished student Chotiros Suriyawong for dressing in a sexy manner in public. He also launched a campaign to urge students to not dress sexily, using freshman student Miss Teen Thailand Tikamporn Rita-apinan as his presenter.

Along with his colleague Banjerd Singkaneti, Prinya was a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, a group active in 2006 in bringing down the government of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. [The Nation, [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/04/08/headlines/headlines_30001288.php Fight not over yet: PAD] , 10 April 2006] He has made several suggestions regarding the content of Thailand's post-coup constitution.

Proposals for constitutional reform

Prinya has made several proposals for reform of the Constitution of Thailand. These include the eliminating of the requirement that candidates for the House of Representatives must be members of a political party for at least 90 days prior to an election. The requirement was originally designed to increase the affiliation that politicians have for political parties, thus increasing the strength of party-based politics. Prinya made the suggestion during the Thailand political crisis 2005-2006, during which there was growing public pressure to allow Thai Rak Thai politicians to more easily defect from their party. [Public Relations Department of Thailand, [http://www.parliament.go.th/news/news_detail.php?prid=4712 Judges call for EC to step aside] ]

Prinya also criticized the concept of multi-seat constituencies, noting that the system was based on population and not on the equality of people. With multi-seat constituencies, "Some provinces, such as Ranong, which has a lower population than other provinces, would get only one MP, but constituencies in larger provinces like Nakhon Ratchasima would get three MPs," he said. [The Nation, [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/11/national/national_30029001.php Academics oppose multi-seat idea] , 11 March 2007]

"Amy" Chotiros Suriyawong controversy

Thammasat University arts senior "Amy" Chotiros Suriyawong wore a black dress during the 2007 Subhanahongsa Awards viewed by some as being too sexy. Her dress proved extremely controversial. The owner of Sahamongkol Film ordered all footage of Chotiros to be deleted from one of his movies. The Ministry of Culture called her dress "very inappropriate." However, Amy was also supported by many, some of which resented the military junta's morality drive. [ [http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/31761.html Daring dress means trouble in Thailand] , 17 February 2007]

Prinya, as Assistant Rector for Student Affairs, forced Amy to appear before a press conference along with the dress and the with deans of the university, and made her apologize for her actions. She was warned that the University might deny her a diploma. [มุกหอม วงษ์เทศ, " [http://www.onopen.com/2007/02/1555 หีนวิทยาลัย] ", มติชนรายวัน ฉบับวันที่ 25 กุมภาพันธ์ 2550] Prinya also punished her by forcing her to read books to blind children for 15 days, as well as perform other community services. [The Nation, [http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/02/16/headlines/headlines_30027006.php Chotiros pledges to shed sexy dress] , 16 February 2007]

Afterwards, Prinya launched a campaign to urge students to not to dress in a sexy manner, using freshman Social Administration student and Miss Teen Thailand 2002 "Cheer" Tikamporn Rita-apinan as his presenter. [เดลินิวส์, [http://www.dailynews.co.th/dailynews/pages/front_th/popup_news/Default.aspx?Newsid=117916&NewsType=1&Template=1 มธ.หนุน"เชียร์"เป็นตัวอย่างการแต่งตัว] , 17 กุมภาพันธ์ 2550]

ee also

* Bloody May
* Constitution of Thailand
* Thammasat University
* Chotiros Suriyawong

References