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Published on December 26, 2007

The bill, which was backed by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) last week, will make Thailand's top university autonomous.

If His Majesty endorses the bill, it will be published in the Royal Gazette and take effect shortly after, as with most laws.

Dr Sophon Roengsumran, who heads the Network of Chulalongkorn University Community against CU autonomy, submitted his group's appeal to Vice Admiral Pajun Tamprateep, an aide to Prem. Pajun promised to forward the appeal to Prem.

In the appeal, Sophon's group said the bill should not be presented to His Majesty because many of its sections were against the Constitution. Some 27 NLA members have asked the NLA Speaker to seek an interpretation on the bill from the Constitutional Court.

The appeal also pointed out the drafting process for the bill was not in line with advice given by His Majesty in 2000.

"Chulalongkorn University has never held a true public hearing on the bill and draft laws to be attached to the CU bill were not completed before the bill went to the NLA," the appeal said.

The notice also outlined other reasons why the bill should not go to His Majesty. It claimed the bill would subject the university to higher costs for its executives and staff, thus raising the possibility that students, especially those in graduate courses would have to pay higher tuition fees.

Sophon also questioned why CU president Suchada Kirananda held a meeting to explain the bill and its attached draft laws yesterday - when students and lecturers were busy with mid-term exams.

"With our obligations, we will not have enough time to study the details in the draft laws," he said.

At the meeting, Suchada sought to allay fears about what would happen when CU becomes autonomous.

She insisted CU lecturers or staff who chose to change from civil servants to employees at the university would get the same benefits and welfare to what labour-protection laws prescribe.

"It's impossible that we will unreasonably raise tuition fees," she said.

In response to concerns about how CU executives would use the university's lucrative land plots, Suchada said the executives would never be able to transfer the rights to the land to others.

Suchada also questioned the motive of those rallying against the CU Bill.

"Are you serving your own interests? Please think about public benefits," she said.

Suchada said CU was open to opinions through its website, www.chula.ac.th, committees tasked with gathering opinions, forums that CU plans to hold, or via CU Office of Information Technology.

The Nation