NLA promises to throw out university autonomy bill
National Legislative Assembly (NLA) members promised hunger striking students Wednesday they would throw out legislation to make state universities autonomous institutions.
Assemblyman Wallop Tangkananurak told the protesting students the assembly had ceased consideration of three of five university bills.Wallop, and about 20 other NLA members and university staff, met the strikers yesterday and asked them to cease their action. Chulalongkorn lecturer Sompong Jitradap was among the delega?tion. A Burapha University and a Ramkhamhaeng University student have been on hunger strike outside Parliament since Monday. They are demanding the government axe bills that will make universities self governing. The two strikers have received support from other students, and one, Pakinai Chomsinsapman, said 20 more would join the action. Wallop told the students the NLA had ceased hearing autonomy legislation for three universities and the only bills left for consider?ation were for Burapha University and Mahidol University. "Some NLA members are seeking to overturn these bills, so, I want to ask the two students to stop striking and allow the problem to be solved by NLA mechanisms," he said. Pakinai refused to end his strike until the legislation was scrapped. "We are asking the NLA to stop these laws because they will destroy national education," Pakinai said. Burapha University's Dr Pongprasert Hoksuwan claimed to have received telephone death threats since the students started their protest. He made a police report. Chulalongkorn academics alleged similar threats. Deputy Education Minister Varakorn Samkoses said students had a right to protest. Hunger strikes were peaceful, he added. He asked university staff to "keep and eye" on the strikers' health. Varakorn doubted students knew the details of the legislation, drafts of which had been in the system for "more than 37 years". He said universities needed to educate their students about the bills.
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