Abac dispute boils over as Sudhiporn denied access to post court injunction
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A CONFRONTATION between Assumption University (Abac) executive Sudhiporn Patumtaewapibal and others holding different views took place yesterday morning as Sudhiporn, his lawyer and 20 security personnel tried to enter the university to post a civil-court
Meanwhile, the Office of the Higher Education Commission (Ohec) will hold an urgent meeting on Monday to discuss the use of Article 86 of the Private University Act authorising Education Minister General Dapong Ratanasuwan to set up a committee to oversee Abac, which has been entangled in internal disputes over its administration.
Sudhiporn and his 20-strong group were stopped at 10am by university guards as they tried to enter the Abac Hua Mark campus.
At one point, a mechanic accompanying the group cut open the side-door padlock and chain and others tried to lift the metal door away.
In response, university guards pulled the door down and one even resorted to spraying a fire extinguisher at Sudhiporn’s group.
A 10-minute stand-off was eventually resolved as 30 police officers and soldiers intervened and separated the two sides.
Sudhiporn later filed a complaint at Hua Mark Police Station accusing those inside the university of obstructing his duties and assaulting his group.
He claimed an August 4 injunction prohibited embattled rector Reverend Brother Dr Bancha Saenghiran and four others from obstructing his duties as acting rector.
On August 18, Abac posted an announcement prohibiting Sudhiporn and three others from entering the university pending a probe result, hence guards padlocked all entrances.
Education Ministry permanent secretary Kamjorn Tatiyakavee said the Abac conflict had become severe and students had stopped going to classes for two days, while yesterday’s stand-off at Abac’s gate would also affect the image of Thai higher education.
He said Dapong had therefore urged Ohec to have the commission convene an urgent meeting to find a resolution to the matter.
The law allowing an Education Ministry-assigned committee to oversee a university until a situation returns to normal is Article 86 of the Private University Act, he said.
It has been used before, in 2011, when the education minister at the time had a committee oversee E-sarn University after the alleged selling of teaching diplomas, he added.
If the commission gives a green light for its use in the case of Abac, Article 86 will be triggered and allow the minister to exercise power in accordance with the commission’s advice, Kamjorn explained.
