Chiang Mai varsity talk 'cancelled to avoid rally'

A Chiang Mai-based Army commander said yesterday that a political seminar at Chiang Mai University was cancelled to prevent a possible mass mobilisation of protesters. 

However, an independent academic involved in organising the event insisted that people’s rights had been unfairly violated just because one of the speakers was considered politically partisan. 

Maj-General Srayuth Rangsi, commander of the 33rd Army Sub-Region in Chiang Mai, said the symposium titled “Happiness and Reconciliation under 2014 Provisional Charter”, scheduled for Thursday, had to be postponed because one of the speakers, Ekachai Chainuvati, might be linked to politics. Ekachai is the deputy dean at Siam University’s law faculty.

Srayuth said the country was not yet ready for political discussions as they might still have wide repercussions. The commander said he had spoken to the organiser, law and political-science expert Chamnan Chanruang, and that he had agreed to cooperate and postpone the event. 

However, Chamnan said the intention of the forum was not to mobilise the masses, adding that it had been unfairly stopped because of perceived threats from one speaker. He added that the topic was very soft. 

Meanwhile, Chiang Mai University’s dean of law, Associate Professor Chatri Rerngdejnarong, said the event had been postponed to avoid a repeat of what happened at Thammasat University last week. Police broke up a political symposium at Thammasat’s Rangsit Campus on Friday and escorted academics and students to a police station for questioning. 

The dean said that once martial law was lifted, such talks could resume as normal. 

Separately, Mahidol University peace expert Gothom Arya called on the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to review its moves to curb academic freedom, saying such rights were implicitly protected even under Article 4 of the junta-sponsored interim charter. 

“Thailand is entering reform, and what’s important is the opening up of a space for people to talk,” he said, adding that the junta could be accused of only listening to what it wanted to hear. At the same time, Gothom urged academics to be mindful not to express their ideas in such a way that would cause worries of political disturbances. 

Meanwhile, Boonsom Akara-thamkul, a deputy rector at Thammasat University, said academics and students could still meet in small groups and relay the outcomes to relevant bodies. However, he warned academics against holding talks on subjects deemed by the junta as propaganda.