Tiang Sirikhanth ( th, เตียง ศิริขันธ์; ; December 5, 1909 - December 12, 1952) was a Thai politician and a

Seri Thai The Free Thai Movement ( th, เสรีไทย; ) was a Thai underground resistance movement against Imperial Japan during World War II. Seri Thai were an important source of military intelligence for the Allies in the region. Background ...

resistance leader during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Early life

Tiang was born to a merchant family in Sakon Nakhon province in the northeast of Thailand. He graduated in science 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 1930 and became a secondary school teacher in Bangkok. He then accepted the position of headmaster at a school in his home province. Tiang was elected to the National Assembly in 1940 and would represent his province until his death.

The Free Thai Movement

On the morning of December 8, 1941 Japanese forces invaded Thailand at numerous points along the seacoast and from

French Indo-China French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

. The Thai army and air force resisted, but were taking heavy casualties against the veteran Japanese units. Prime Minister

Phibun Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram ( th, แปลก พิบูลสงคราม ; alternatively transcribed as ''Pibulsongkram'' or ''Pibulsonggram''; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964), locally known as Marshal P. ( th, จอมพล � ...

panicked and ordered a cease fire the same day. He allowed the Japanese to occupy Bangkok unopposed and to invade British Malaya from southern Thailand. After Singapore fell to the invaders, Phibun went so far as to make a formal alliance with Japan. Tiang and others opposed to the Japanese met with the Regent,

Pridi Phanomyong Pridi Banomyong ( th, ปรีดี พนมยงค์, , ; 11 May 1900 – 2 May 1983), also known by his noble title Luang Praditmanutham ( th, หลวงประดิษฐ์มนูธรรม) was a Thai politician and professo ...

, on the night of December 8 to discuss forming a resistance movement. This would eventually develop into the "Seri Thai", the

Free Thai Movement The Free Thai Movement ( th, เสรีไทย; ) was a Thai underground resistance movement against Imperial Japan during World War II. Seri Thai were an important source of military intelligence for the Allies in the region. Background I ...

. Tiang organised the largest Seri Thai guerrilla training operation near his hometown in Sakorn Nakorn, with military support from British

Force 136 Force 136 was a far eastern branch of the British World War II intelligence organisation, the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Originally set up in 1941 as the India Mission with the cover name of GSI(k), it absorbed what was left of SOE's Or ...

. His British code name was Pluto.

Post war and murder

Following the war, Tiang served as a cabinet minister in several democratic governments. Along with his friend and political ally Khrong Chandawong, Sirikhanth was one of the most prominent left-wing Thai political leaders in the post-war era, earning the nickname of "General of Phu Phan."Blake, David John Humphre
Irrigationalism - the politics and ideology of irrigation development in the Nam Songkhram Basin, Northeast Thailand
/ref> A staunch opponent of the Pibulsongkram dictatorship, which had staged a coup against the elected government, Tiang and four associates were arrested and murdered by the police under orders of Phibun's ruthless ally,

Phao Sriyanond Police General Phao Siyanon ( th, เผ่า ศรียานนท์, also spelled Sriyanond and Sriyanon; 1 March 1910 – 21 November 1960) was a director general of Thailand's national police who was notorious for his excesses against po ...

. Their buried remains were discovered in Kanchanaburi province many years later.

References

External links

Tiang Sirikhanth on the Thailand in WWII site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sirikhanth, Tiang 1909 births 1952 deaths Tiang Sirikhanth Tiang Sirikhanth Tiang Sirikhanth Tiang Sirikhanth Tiang Sirikhanth Tiang Sirikhanth Tiang Sirikhanth Tiang Sirikhanth