Calls for freedom as police end talk
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Forum had nothing to do with Thailand, was on foreign dictatorships: moderator
Academics yesterday decried the breaking up of a political discussion, though Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha defended the move, saying people had only been “invited” to the police station.
The authorities broke up a symposium entitled “Fall of Dictatorship Abroad” held at Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus on Thursday afternoon.
Prajak Konhkirati, a Thammasat University political scientist, lamented the situation, saying there could be no true democracy without academic freedom.
“Don’t consider the current situation democratic. Let’s not fool ourselves,” said Prajak, who was the moderator of the short-lived symposium.
Police took three students – members of the League of Liberal Thammasat for Democracy (LLTD) who organised the event – Prajak and four other academics in for questioning. Prajak explained that the discussion had nothing to do with Thailand, but was about how dictatorships overseas, such as in Serbia, Latin America and Germany had been overthrown.
He also said academics – both local and overseas – had expressed concern about the situation.
“We cannot become a full democracy if we limit academic freedom,” Prajak told The Nation. “We weren’t even discussing Thailand!”
Prayuth, meanwhile, called on the public yesterday to give his government some time before it can allow free discussions on politics.
“Please understand me. I wasn’t elected. I know myself well,” Prayuth said, adding that a “request” for the event to be cancelled had been made earlier.
In a letter dated September 16 and addressed to Thammasat University’s deputy rector, Colonel Pallop Fuengfu, commander of the Second Field Artillery Regiment, asked that event be cancelled as it “may affect the solving of national problems and create division and differing political attitudes again”.
After talking to the police, Prajak admitted it was understandable that the military might have considered the forum a political gathering because there were more than 150 people – albeit mostly students – present. But, he said, the university’s administrators should come out and defend academic freedom.
“Right now, they’re pressuring all universities and they even told me that Rangsit University has been cooperative,” Prajak said. “ But if we don’t fight to defend academic freedom, then it’s tantamount to the university giving up its role.”
He said the Army had told him that permission had to be sought before such an event can be organised again and that the junta reserved the right to deny it.
Separately, Thammasat rector Somkid Lertpaithoon said yesterday that people must realise that martial law applies to universities as well and whether a discussion is permitted or not depends very much on the topic. Somkid, who is also a member of the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly, has been widely criticised for his stance.
“I sent people to warn the students to be careful, but didn’t place stress on anything in particular,” the rector was quoted as saying.
As for the event, noted historian Nidhi Eoseewong was the only lecturer who could speak on stage for about 30 minutes before police moved in and the reaction to this was seen almost immediately in cyberspace as people began posting comments condemning the junta.
“They can’t control our thoughts, so they’ve started using fear,” Thammasat political scientist Pongkwan Sawasdipakd tweeted.
An LLTD member, who tweets as @RickLee, said the struggle would continue and vowed that “we will not submit ourselves to the National Council for Peace and Order. We will not be subjected to tyrannical abuse.”
He said the group managed to mark the eighth anniversary of the September 19, 2006 coup yesterday by placing a black banner along a road in the capital.
