Man behind first ‘people’s charter motion’ says fight for democracy will go on

14 Sept 01:36 Key points summarised by AI

Jon Ungphakorn, founder of iLaw, spearheaded Thailand's first citizen-backed constitutional amendment motion, aiming to dismantle the 2014 coup's legacy and foster democracy.
Parliament overwhelmingly rejected iLaw's bill, a predictable outcome given the constitutional requirement for significant Senate support.
Despite the rejection, iLaw declared the motion a historic success for bringing a people's charter change proposal to parliamentary debate, underscoring the ongoing demand for democracy.
Ungphakorn, from a family with a strong legacy in Thai civil society, emphasizes that the fight for democracy will persist, highlighting the disconnect between lawmakers and evolving societal demands.

Suchada: Meet the reluctant star of Thailand’s cryptic crypto drama

Yesterday 15:38 Key points summarised by AI

Thai MP Suchada Zhang Thaensap faces intense scrutiny over her husband’s substantial 1.84 billion baht wealth, with opposition lawmakers alleging connections to international scam networks.
A significant portion of her husband, Taiyang Zhang's, declared assets includes a 1.44 billion baht loan to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which still owes him 1.34 billion baht.
Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome accused Suchada's husband of links to online scam networks and gambling sites, prompting Suchada to vehemently deny the claims, demand evidence, and file a defamation complaint.
Taiyang Zhang's background includes co-founding Ren Protocol, later sold to Alameda Research (linked to the FTX collapse), and some of his former associates have been convicted in crypto company failures.
Suchada, a former actress and first-time MP, maintains her husband's innocence, while her party leaders have distanced themselves from the allegations, deeming it a private matter.