Tech students protest Chula plan to move their campus

Thousands of students and alumni of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok's Uthenthawai campus staged a march yesterday to protest against Chulalongkorn University's plan to evict Uthenthawai students.

The students and alumni gathered at the Uthenthawai campus in the morning and marched along Phya Thai Road to the Chulalongkorn Property Office to submit a letter of protest.

The demonstrators then marched in front of the Jamruee Square Building 2, where they staged a satirical play against Chulalongkorn University.

Chulalongkorn University has announced that it needs to use the Uthenthawai campus to expand facilities for its students, and has prepared a plot in Samut Prakan for the Uthenthawai students.

But Assoc Prof Suebpong Muangchu, vice rector of Uthenthawai, said yesterday that Chulalongkorn has more than 100 rai of land, and Uthenthawai wants to lease only 21 rai to continue to teach its students.

The demonstrators wore blue scarves with the words "Opposing the plan to evict Thailand's first construction technicians from Thung Phayathai. We have been here since 1932". Most of the demonstrators also wore T-shirts with the message: "Demanding the return of royally granted land of Uthenthawai".

During the gathering of students inside the campus, police set up a checkpoint at its gate to search them. Some were found to be carrying knives, which were seized by police.

Chulalongkorn Rector Prof Dr Pirom Kamolratanakul said the university had to remain open for public services yesterday, but added that the university was concerned about the welfare of its 40,000 students and 8,000 lecturers and staff.

Pirom said Chulalongkorn would be ready to hold talks with Uthenthawai and the Education Ministry. He said he believed it was appropriate that Uthenthawai should be relocated to be near industrial centres.