Prayut to attend forums in China, Myanmar
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has insisted that he has not restricted academic freedom nor banned academic seminars as long as they do not instigate political conflicts.
He made the comment following the protest by a group of university scholars against the NCPO ban on their academic forum on dictatorship last Thursday.
Sixty scholars from 16 universities have asked the NCPO to better respect their freedom and signed a petition to protest against the action of soldiers and police who abrupty cut short a forum titled "The Decline of Dictatorships in Foreign Countries" last Thursday.
They have also protested the NCPO's suggestion that they seek permission from the NCPO to organise an academic forum to prevent unexpected disruptions in future.
Gen Prayut said academics are free to express their views on academic matters, but not political issues, and stressing that they must ask the military regime for permission.
They must also submit the topics for discussion and if their seminars stray from the submitted topics, their seminars will be banned, Gen Prayut said.
NCPO spokesman Col Winthai Suwaree yesterday said the NCPO wanted to seek cooperation from all sectors to avoid holding any political activities that could re-ignite political conflict which in turn will disrupt the country's political stability and obstruct efforts to solve the country's problems.
called for understanding of the authorities need to maintain order and promote the positive climate as a campaign for reform and unity is getting under way.
The NCPO needs to examine details of the topics for discussions at academic seminars as well as the lists of participants to see to it that those activities go smoothly and help promote the good political climate, Col Winthai said.
He said that forums and seminars should express views in a constructive manner that lead to solutions to problems, rather than stoking up hatred, adding that participants in seminars should also avoid defaming others.
Last Thursday, Mr Nidhi was addressing a forum ''The Decline of Dictatorships in Foreign Countries” held at Thammasat University's Rangsit campus when Khlong Luang police officers and plainclothes soldiers burst in and ended the student-organised seminar, put on by a group called the League of Liberal Thammasat for Democracy.
Three other speakers, including Chaowarit Chaosangrat, Janjira Sombatpoonsiri and Panu Traivej, took part in the seminar, moderated by Prajak Kongkirati.
The speakers, with other student organisers, were detained for questioning before being released.
In Chiang Mai, the law research and development centre at Chiang Mai University's faculty of law