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Published on February 18, 2008

Historians will hold a discussion in Thai and English to counter what they call Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's distortion of the facts over the October 6, 1976 student massacre.

Akkharaphong Khamkhun, a lecturer in Southeast Asian Studies at Thammasat Univer-sity, said a panel discussion on "From October 14th, to the 6th, and Bloody May: The Unlearned Lessons of Our History" will be held tomorrow afternoon from 1pm at Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan Campus.

The panel is organised not only to counter the PM's distortion of the facts of the October 6, 1976 student massacre which took place at the campus but also to encourage Thai society to learn more about the incident, he said.

"It's not only about Samak's distortion, but we see that the incident has been unlearned history in Thai society for over three decades," Akkharaphong said.

Samak recently gave an interview to CNN, stating he was not involved in the massacre as accused and only one unlucky student activist was killed in the incident.

According to an official report, there were 46 deaths.

Akkharaphong said he had sent an email to the prime minister inviting him to listen to the historians on the panel.

Historian Thanet Aphornsuvan, dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, will give a talk on "The Painful History and the Unlearned Lesson".

The panel will be held in Thai with an English interpretation in order to counter the prime minister's distortion during his interview with the foreign media, Akkharaphong said.

Former student activists from the 1970s yesterday issued an open letter to condemn Prime Minister Samak.

The former student activists gathered at the October 14 Memorial for a symposium titled "Facts of October 6, 1976" organised by the October 6 Heroes' Relatives Committee and Network to Protect the Spirit of the October Activists.

Among former activists of the 1970s who took part in the symposium were historian Suthachai Yimprasert, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, Wasan Sitthiket, leader of the Artists Party, Pichian Amnartvoraprasert, a member of the Matchima Tipataya Party, and Veera Somkwamkid, secretary-general of the Anti-Corruption Network.

The activists said in their open letter although it was not the anniversary of the uprising, they had gathered to show up Samak.

The letter said it was perfectly clear that many students were killed in the compound of Thammasat University on that day.

It reminded Samak that when he was interior minister at that time, he told foreign reporters that 48 students were killed.

"So why did Samak, who is now the prime minister, give different information to the CNN reporter in a way that makes it seem he regards the incident as a small political accident.

"Isn't this a lie by the prime minister?" the open letter said.

"Samak as of now cannot play the role of an outspoken politician who can make irresponsible statements. We do not believe that Samak has received limited information regarding the incident and we don't believe that Samak has already forgot what happened," the letter said.

"The only thing that can heal us is to tell the truth to society and correct history by accepting the status and cruel truth of the October 6, 1976 incident."

Thai historian Thongchai Winichakul of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, wrote an article condemning Samak for distorting the facts and urging former student activists and others to go beyond the political agenda in criticising Samak.

"Going beyond Samak is the way to make the criticism of him worthwhile for the October 6 cause and to distinguish our criticism of Samak from those opportunists who attack him for the benefit of the anti-Thaksin political camp which includes the real criminals of October 6," he wrote.

Thongchai was among student leaders who were arrested and detained for two years. 

The Nation