Boonsanong Punyodyana ( th, บุญสนอง บุณโยทยาน; ) was a Thai politician and General secretary of the Socialist Party of Thailand. He was assassinated on February 28, 1976.

Life and career

After graduating from

Chulalongkorn University Chulalongkorn University (CU, th, จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย, ), nicknamed Chula ( th, จุฬาฯ), is a public and autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally fo ...

in 1959, Boonsanong worked for the Thai government, preparing English translations of official manuals. His skill in English and his familiarity with the Thai governmental structure gained him employment with the

United States Information Service The United States Information Agency (USIA), which operated from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, prior to the reorganization of intelligence agencies by President George W. Bush, President Bill ...

(USIS) in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

as a writer and researcher. In 1962, he won a Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship to study for a master's degree in sociology at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

. After receiving the MA, Boonsanong returned to Thailand where he joined the staff of

Thammasat University Thammasat University ( Abrv: TU th, มธ.; th, มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์, , ) is a public research university in Thailand with campuses in Tha Phra Chan area of Phra Nakhon District near the Grand Pala ...

as a lecturer in sociology. In 1967 he returned to the US and spent five productive years there. He completed a PhD in sociology at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

, published several articles, spent a year at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, and another year as a visiting professor at the

University of Hawaiʻi The University of Hawaiʻi System, formally the University of Hawaiʻi and popularly known as UH, is a public college and university system that confers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through three universities, seven com ...

. Boonsanong had established himself as an internationally recognized scholar in his field by the time of his return to Thailand in 1972. Back at Thammasat University in June 1972, he immediately became one of the university's leading activists. He led student demonstrations at the US Embassy in Bangkok following the

Mayaguez incident The ''Mayaguez'' incident took place between Kampuchea (now Cambodia) and the United States from 12 to 15 May 1975, less than a month after the Khmer Rouge took control of the capital Phnom Penh ousting the U.S.-backed Khmer Republic. After th ...

. He was heavily engaged: writing papers, attending meetings, carrying out research, organizing and lecturing to hundreds of committed young people. The student movement which was to overthrow the military dictatorship in the

1973 Thai popular uprising The popular uprising of 14 October 1973 ( th, เหตุการณ์ 14 ตุลา, , ; also , , ) was a watershed event in Thailand's history. The uprising resulted in the end of the ruling military dictatorship of anti-communist Thanom ...

was heating up and Thammasat was at its epicenter.

Works

*See "BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS BY BOONSANONG PUNYODYANA" *

Assassination

Boonsanong was killed by gunshot at about 01:30 on 28 February 1976. At the time of his death, he was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party of Thailand. It is thought that his death was politically motivated. His murderers were not apprehended. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

References

1936 births 1976 deaths Boonsanong Punyodyana Boonsanong Punyodyana Boonsanong Punyodyana Boonsanong Punyodyana Boonsanong Punyodyana Boonsanong Punyodyana {{Thailand-bio-stub