Student Council slams Chula move to axe elected reps

Netiwit and four other student council members were sanctioned on Wednesday as a committee set up by the university concluded that they violated university regulations. Three other students were also punished for the same charge. 
Each student was deducted 25 “behaviour points”, disqualifying them from serving on the student council. No more than 20 points can be deducted for student politicians to remain at their posts.
CU reasoned that the students intended to disrupt proceedings in a way that damaged the university’s image. Their actions brought “disrespect to the rest of the university community members, who highly value the oath taking ceremony to express gratitude to our founding Kings [Rama V and Rama VI]”, the committee concluded.
“They were aware that their attitudes did not go along with the tradition and they could have stayed in our specially arranged area,” CU said in a press release yesterday. “Yet, the eight students did not perform their roles as student representatives properly."

CU also explained yesterday 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.”

Netiwit, the student council and progressive scholars challenged the investigative process, saying that it took a relatively short amount of time.
In a statement released on Thursday, the council said that it does not accept results of the probe. Netiwit and other accused students should be allowed more time to gather evidence to appeal the decision, they said.
The council also called for the committee to clarify its investigation process and results to the accused students.
Netiwit said that he planned to appeal the decision within a week, following CU’s regulations allowing sanctioned students to appeal within 30 days of an order being issued.
“Being ousted from the presidency stopped me from carrying on important projects that benefit the university and its students,” he said. 
Netiwit, who is also being investigated for his attempt to organise public hearings on how entrepreneurs are treated on CU-managed property, feared that he could face probation if he loses another 15 behaviour points.
Social critic Sulak Sivaraksa who also accompanied Netiwit during the investigation as a caretaker, said that the student leader and his friends were judged unfairly even though Netiwit had stressed his loyalty to the monarchy and followed tradition.
Netiwit could not even bring his lawyer to a public hearing during the investigation, Sulak said.
The eight students were accused of “stirring up a scene” at CU’s traditional oath taking ceremony, where freshmen would line up, pay respects, and take an oath before statues of the university’s highly respected Kings. Instead of sitting down on their legs and paying obeisance to the late Kings, Netiwit and other council members stood up and bowed to them before leaving their designated spots. 
The students’ action prompted assistant rector Reungwit Banjongrat to approach economic student Suphalak Bumroongkit. A widely circulated photo shows Reungwit holding the student in a headlock and dragging him out of the grass field.

CU has investigated Reungwit for alleged assault, while separately investigating the students for misbehaviour.
Reungwit’s investigation is still ongoing, while that of the students has concluded.
CU has said that the probe of the assistant rector’s behaviour should be wrapped up soon. Students are set to provide testimony to the inquiry next Monday. The student council, however, has expressed concerns about the process of the alleged assault case, they said.