y ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁and ▁Minister ▁of ▁Education ▁in ▁the ▁cabin ets ▁of ▁Th ak sin ▁and ▁Y ing l uck ▁Sh ina w atra . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Ch atur on ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁left ist , ▁pro - dem ocracy ▁students ▁movement ▁that ▁initi ated ▁the ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁popular ▁u pr ising ▁against ▁military ▁dict ator ship . ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁Th amm as at ▁University ▁mass acre ▁and ▁return ▁to ▁author itar ian ▁rule , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁illegal ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁of ▁Th ailand . ▁He ▁later ▁fled ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁he ▁further ed ▁his ▁academic ▁studies , ▁ear ning ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁econom ics . ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁Th ailand ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁he ▁joined ▁main stream ▁politics , ▁representing ▁his ▁home ▁province ▁in ▁Parliament ▁for ▁several ▁terms . ▁He ▁repeatedly ▁switched ▁parties , ▁during ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁he ▁stayed ▁with ▁the ▁New ▁Asp iration ▁Party , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁secretary ▁general ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁until ▁his ▁leave ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁He ▁then ▁joined ▁the ▁Th ai ▁Rak ▁Th ai ▁Party ▁( TR T ) ▁of ▁Th ak sin ▁Sh ina w atra , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁Th ak sin ' s ▁government ▁in ▁several ▁positions : ▁Minister ▁to ▁the