Nitirat 'not likely' to cause October 6-like violence
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Two former students from the October 6, 1976, generation gave a mixed response as to how serious the growing concerns are about violence breaking out as a result of the campaign to amend the lese majeste law by the Nitirat group of Thammasat University la
Concerns have been voiced recently that violence might flare up as it did in 1976, when up to 44 people, including Thammasat students, were killed when ultra-royalist groups joined paramilitary troops and police in attacking the university. They claimed that the students were communists or communist sympathisers wanting to overthrow the monarchy.
This week, the rector of Thammasat University, Somkid Lertpaithoon, announced that Nitirat would not be allowed to use the university as a venue to engage in future political campaigns to amend the law for fear of violence.
Suthachai Yimprasert, Chulalongkorn University historian, who in 1976 was a Thammasat student, said the chance of a replay of the October 6 massacre was slim.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen yet,” he said, citing various factors.
“Today they no longer have the legitimacy” to carry out such violence, he explained, adding that Thammasat was not directly targeted, which it was in 1976.
Another factor, Suthachai said, was the lack of force and numbers among ultra-royalists, who he believes are divided.
“If they try, they will be prosecuted. I think Somkid [mentioned violence] to justify his actions,” he said.
Although Suthachai said he was aware that some media were demonising Nitirat as anti-monarchist or trying call for another military coup, this would not work. “If mainstream media are to be believed, then Pheu Thai would not have won the election. They won’t succeed in manipulation.”
Vipar Daomanee, another 1976 student activist who now is an academic at Thammasat, said such a possibility could not be ruled out, because there were some ultra-royalists who exhibited extreme behaviour and some of the mainstream mass media were doing their best to discredit Nitirat.
“I am concerned. The important thing is whether Thai society has learned anything [from the October 6 massacre]. It’s because we haven’t learned the lesson that we keep punishing culprits because some think they will do it again.”
Vipar urged the public to defy any calls to stop the debate and campaign to amend the law in the name of preventing violence.
“Do we really have to keep quiet and give up?” she asked.
Rackchart Wong-arthichart, vice president of Thammasat University’s student union, said he believed Thai society had progressed beyond the point where citizens lynch |others for having a different political opinion. “I think they’re a small minority,” he said.
However, he said in was “uncivilised” when last Friday some ultra-royalists re-enacted activists being strangulated and lynched on October 6. The student union’s Facebook page has been under attack by |royalists, he said, especially since it voiced its opposition to Somkid’s announcement.
Rackchart added that Somkid used his fear of violence to justify the ban on Nitirat’s activity.
