Thammasat rector defends Nitirat ban

Somkid Lertpaithoon, the beleaguered rector of Thammasat University, yesterday defended its ban on campaigning against the lese majeste law, saying he feared more conflict and chaos if the campus continued allowing the use of its facilities for such rallies.

"Being Thammasat's rector is a dilemma. I faced a protest when I expressed opposition to Nitirat's movement. When I allowed [Nitirat] to use our campus [to hold its campaign], another group turned against me. Can't Thai society tolerate it when someone wants to take a stand on a just and appropriate point?" Somkid wrote on his Facebook page. He said he was not trying to stifle freedom of expression or academic freedom, but people needed to separate those freedoms from political movements, which risk igniting conflict and chaos inside the university and the country.

Thammasat University on Monday prohibited the use of its facilities to campaign against the lese majeste law in a move that would likely apply more heat on the controversial Nitirat group, which advocates changes to the law.

The decision of the university's executive board drew applause and condemnation from both students and alumni.

Several groups of students put up posters on the campus' buildings against the decision. They also plan to place wreaths to oppose the decision at Puay Ungpakorn's statue on the Rangsit campus tomorrow and at Pridi Banomyong's statue on the main Prachan campus on Sunday.

The House of Representatives committee on reconciliation chaired by Sonthi Boonyaratglin said all political party leaders insisted to the committee that they disagreed with amending Article 112 of the Penal Code, known as the lese majeste law, because it is a sensitive issue and might lead to a national crisis.