Yingluck Shinawatra

Yingluck Shinawatra ยิ่งลักษณ์ ชินวัตร Born 21 June 1967 (age 43) San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai, Thailand Political party Pheu Thai Party Spouse(s) Anusorn Amornchat Children 1 Alma mater Chiang Mai University Kentucky State University

Yingluck Shinawatra (Thai: ยิ่งลักษณ์ ชินวัตร, RTGS: Yinglak Chinnawat; born 21 June 1967) is the current president of Bangkok-based property developer SC Asset Co., Ltd., and the youngest sister of Thailand's fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. In May 2011, Thailand's opposition Pheu Thai Party -- which maintains close ties with the ousted premier -- nominated Yingluck as their candidate for prime minister in the 2011 elections.

Early life and career

Yingluck is the youngest of nine children from Mr. Lert and Mrs. Yindee Shinawatra (daughter of Princess Jantip (Na Chiangmai) Raminkwong). She graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University in 1988 and a master's degree in Political Science from Kentucky State University, United States, in 1990.
Yingluck worked at Shinawatra Directories Co., Ltd. and was the Managing Director of Advanced Info Service PCL, a mobile phone provider formerly controlled by Thaksin, before its sale to investors. She was investigated by Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission regarding possible insider training after she sold shares of her AIS stock for a profit prior to the sale of the Shin Corporation to Temasek Holdings.
Yingluck is also a committee member and secretary of the Thaicom Foundation. She married Mr. Anusorn Amornchat, Managing Director of Mlink Asia Corporation Co., Ltd. which is her sister's – Yaowapa Wongsawat – company without registration and has one son.

Politics career

Phue Thai Party

After People Power Party, a political party that has a strong tied to ex-Prime Minister Thaksin, had been dissolved by the Constitution Court of Thailand due to the behavior of its executives that violated election law, Thaksin decided to set up another party to be his nominee party to do political activity inside the nation. Since the establishment of the party, Yingluck was among Thaksin’s first choice to be the leader of the party. However, she refused to accept the position saying that she did not want to be the Prime Minister and only wanted to focus on doing her business. She said that she did some political activities only because the party sent an invitation letter for her to join.

Conflict within Phue Thai Party

Prior to the eve of 2011, lots of Phue Thai Party from the group who support Mr.[Mingkwan Sangsuwan] travelled abroad to visit Mr.Thaksin to discuss about Thaksin’s decision to choose Yingluck as no.1 for MP party list candidate. They believed that try pushing people who are directly related with Thaksin would be running against the wall since a big part of Thai of citizens now have strong feeling against him. However, Thaksin remained decision since he believed that the person in the same family would never betray him.

Rise to Prime Minister Candidate

The Pheu Thai Party voted on 16 May to name Yingluck as the party's top candidate under the country's party list system. The vote positions her against Democrat Party member and current Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in the country's national elections, scheduled for 3 July. Even though Yingluck's brother Thaksin won't be on the ballot in 2011, her selection again makes the former premier a major issue in discussions surrounding the future of the Thai premiership. After Yingluck's nomination, Thaksin said that if his sister becomes the next prime minister, it will effectively allow him to control Thai government even though he is currently serving a five-year political ban for electoral fraud. Thaksin has also been living in self-imposed exile since 2008 to avoid a jail sentence after he was convicted of abuse of power.

Campaign for reconcilation

After Yingluck was officially nominated by Phue Thai Party to be the no.1 in party list candidate, which is traditionally means she is PM candidate from Phue Thai Party, she declared her vision as the new leader of the party to public.. One of her main campaigns is reconciliation for all to bring back unity to the nation. Despite her desire for reconciliation, there are two core leaders of Red Shirt Protestors among top 10 list of Phue Thai party list MP candidates, and three core leaders among the top 20 list. Traditionally it is known that the top 20 MP Party list of any party would be those who hold important positions in the cabinet in case that the party wins the election. Those three core leaders are [Jatuporn Prompan], [Nattawut Saikua], and [Weng Tojirakarn]. .All these three protestor leaders faced charge from the Royal Thai Police for their violent verbal on political stage which lead to riots in many parts of the country in 2010. Furthermore, they are being accused for setting up riots which led to several deaths. .Currently, the two leaders except [Jatuporn Prompan] are bailed out of jail with a condition that they must not say anything in public that leads to conflict inside the nation. It is very interesting to see how Yingluck, the youngest sister of Thaksin the man behind the origin of political crisis in Thailand, can create reconciliation while her party plans to set those people who actually created conflicts inside the nation into important positions that suppose to help her driving her reconciliation policy. If Yingluck won the election, Thai people would have an opportunity to see the contrast between Abhisit’s team of unity , which consists of [Anant Panyarachoon] and [Praveth Wasri] who are senior politicians in the country, and Yingluck’s team of unity, which consists of [Jatuporn Prompan], [Weng Tojirakarn], and [Nattawut Saikua].

National Debate

The Democrat Party invited Yingluck Shinawatra on May 15th 2011 to a political debate with its leader, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, as election campaigns are becoming heated on the eve of a general election to be held in Thailand on July 3. . Phue Thai Party declined the invitation. Chalerm Ubomroong, one of Phue Thai Party executives, declared that the national debate is not necessary for Thai politics since it is only used in Presidential elections.

Linking with Red Shirt Protestors

Funding support to the Red Shirts

Yingluck’s bank account was among other 86 bank accounts, that were accused for funding support the Red Shirt protestors during their demonstration in 2010. During their period of time, chaos occurred in every part of the country especially in Bangkok Metropolitan area. Based on the investigation of [Department for Special Investigation], during 28 April 2009 – May 2010, 317 million baht flowed around in her account. 150 baht was deposited while 166 million baht was withdrawn. Especially on 28 April 2010, 144 million baht was withdrawn.  Since 28th April 2010, the chaotic situation went from bad to worse. On 28 April, a fight occurred in Donmung district in Bangkok and 1 soldier was killed. On 7-8 May, two policemen was killed during riot in Saladang district in Bangkok. On 14 May, fight occurred in many parts of Bangkok which led to several deaths. บาดเจ็บ

Scandals and criticisms

Yingluck was said to have helped her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra and sister in-law conceal their wealth. Yingluck received 0.68% of Shin Corp. shares out of the 46.87% that Thaksin and his wife hold in 1999. AEC claimed that Yingluck had made up false transaction and that “there were no real payments for each Ample Rich Co.,Ltd shares sold” and “the transactions were made at a cost basis of par value in order to avoid income taxes, and all the dividends paid out by Shin to those people were transferred to Potjaman's bank accounts”. Yingluck however claimed that “her family has been as a victim of political persecution”.