Palang Dharma Party
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Palang Dharma Party
พรรคพลังธรรม Phak Phalang Tham |
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|---|---|
| Chairman |
Chamlong Srimuang (1988–1992) Thaksin Shinawatra (1995–1996) |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Dissolved | 2007 |
| Ideology | Political Buddhism, Anti-corruption |
The Palang Dharma Party (Thai: พรรคพลังธรรม, rtgs: Phak Phalang Tham; translating to "Power of Dharma", or "Moral Force",PDP for short) was a Buddhist-inspired political party in Thailand founded by Chamlong Srimuang in 1988, associated with the Santi Asoke sect of Buddhism. The Thai word tham can be used to refer both to "morality", and "dharma", the teachings of Buddhism. Phak Phalang Tham was a political party, not to be confused with its precursor, Ruam Phalang ("Collective Force"), the campaign group that backed Chamlong Srimuang in the 1985 Bangkok gubernatorial election. To some extent, the PDP evolved into a political party from Ruam Phalang. The latter group was largely made up of Santi Asoke devotees, former Young Turks, and other political activists and community leaders. Many of the PDP's early members were drawn from the ranks of Ruam Phalang.
The Palang Dharma Party was founded by Chamlong Srimuang in May 1988. A retired major-general and former governor of Bangkok, Chamlong is a devout Buddhist with strong ties to the Santi Asoke sect; he is known for his current vows of chastity, his vegetarianism and his strict adherence to the Eight Precepts of Buddhism. Although Chamlong won the 1985 election for Bangkok governor as an independent backed by Ruam Phalang, in the following years Chamlong's political future seemed to be increasingly compromised by his lack of backing by a formal political party. Ahead of the 1988 general election, he founded the Palang Dharma Party, although only after gaining the approval of an initially reluctant Phra Photirak, the founder and leader of the Santi Asoke Buddhist sect. As the election day approached, Santi Asoke members, including Photirak, provided out massive support for the new political party.
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