CU defends its punishment of eight students
Disrespect to Thai morality, failing to maintain the university’s prestige and performing practices against Thai culture are among accusations faced by former student council president Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal and other seven students for allegedly misbehaving during Chulalongkorn University’s (CU) oath-taking ceremony.
As a result of breaking these rules, Netiwit and his colleagues have had their behaviour points deducted by 25 points. Since Netiwit and four others had served in the CU student council, they were removed from those posts.
CU explained on Friday that this is because the students broke five articles stipulated in CU’s 1984 regulations on student discipline.
They are:
Article 4: “Students must always strictly follow all laws, rules, regulations, announcements or orders of the University or their faculty”;
Article 5: “Students must follow Thai good moral, ethical and cultural principles on all occasions”;
Article 6: “Students must maintain unity, orderliness and the University’s image and prestige”
Article 7: “Students must behave themselves gently and not behave in ways that may damage themselves, their parents, their guardians, or the University” and
Article 12: “Students must not perform any tradition or practice deemed inappropriate to Thai culture.”
The eight students were accused of creating a disturbance at CU’s traditional oath-taking ceremony on August 3. Instead of sitting on the ground and paying their respects like all other students, they chose to walk away from their positions spots, and stood and bowed before statues of the late King Rama V and VI.
Their conduct sparked controversy as one lecturer was then pictured head locking and dragging one of the standing students out of the area.
The CU determined that the eight students’ actions amounted to misconduct.
Netiwit and the Student Council said that CU’s inquiry had itself been unjust, leaving little room for the students to justify their actions.