Effigy Of Thai Education Minister Suchart Burnt As Rally Watered Down

[webfact]

EDUCATION

Effigy of minister burnt as rally watered down

SUPINDA NA MAHACHAI,

SAOWANEE NIMPANPAYUNGWONG

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- A group of Bodindecha School students and parents yesterday staged a protest outside Government House, burning an effigy of Education Minister Suchart Thadadamrongvej over his "tea money" policy, which had favoured rich families and resulted in a number of students being prevented from continuing their studies in the 10th grade.

The leader of an anti-corruption network, Mongkholkit Suksintharanont, who led yesterday's protest, denied that he had tried to convince people with terminal-stage Aids to set fire to themselves in protest at the tea-money issue at the prestigious Bangkok school.

"I don't think one can force others to kill themselves that way, but people with HIV/Aids may think they will die soon anyway, and may want to make their deaths useful," he said.

A network of people living with HIV/Aids had earlier voiced their opposition to Mongkholkit's statement that three terminal-stage Aids patients had agreed to join the tea-money protest.

Mongkholkit later claimed that "the sacrifice" had been called off because it would have made huge news, which would be bad for the country's image. The burning of Suchart's effigy was therefore carried out instead.

Yossarin Talabnark, a senior official at an education office in Ayutthaya, led 20 students from four schools to the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) to show their support for the policy in favour of tea money and their opposition to protests against it, such as the Bodindecha School hunger strike.

They later moved to Parliament and submitted a petition to Pheu Thai Party asking for an investigation into the matter, targeting Mongkholkit, whom they accused of launching the protest against tea money due to a business conflict.

Mongkholkit had allegedly encouraged Bodindecha students to go on hunger strike.

The students' studies at the upper secondary level had been terminated supposedly because of their very poor grades rather than them having a lesser financial status than those selected to take their places.

Yossarin said Mongkholkit had set up a private tutorial school, which later failed to pass a qualification test under the Education Ministry. "This is likely the main reason leading him to stage protests to smear Bodindecha School," he added.

Obec secretary-general Chinna-phat Phoomirat said the three students who had been re-enrolled but later quit, were not pushed out by teachers and fellow students after the school management recently made an announcement calling on all pupils to not accept them.

Chinnaphat said he did not know why the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had agreed to initially look into the matter and possibly inspect the assets of directors of 20 schools at the request of Mongkholkit.

He will today appear before the National Anti-Corruption Commission to clarify allegations of graft at the schools in question.

A senior DSI official, Nirand Adulsak, said the DSI had complied with Mongkholkit's request and made some progress in interviewing the parents of three Bodindecha students.

However, the agency has not yet decided whether to officially investigate the matter.

-- The Nation 2012-05-30

[Moruya]

These parents have a real case but the protest is descending into a farce of Tom Sharpe proportions.

Trying to turn a few terminally ill AIDS patients into latter day Jan Palaks over some school places is distasteful in the extreme.

Even worse it will give ideas to Jatuporn, Nattawut and cohorts

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect App

[Yunla]

which would be bad for the country's image

[jonclark]

These parents have a real case but the protest is descending into a farce of Tom Sharpe proportions.

Trying to turn a few terminally ill AIDS patients into latter day Jan Palaks over some school places is distasteful in the extreme.

Even worse it will give ideas to Jatuporn, Nattawut and cohorts

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect App

Certainly distasteful, but I think it gives some insight about the level of anger and frustration parents feel with the way the education of their children is handled.

[smedly]

Is this guy an MP ?

maybe he should have set himself on fire - we'd all be a lot better off

who makes this sh1t up

[Payboy]

Yossarin Talabnark, a senior official at an education office in Ayutthaya, led 20 students from four schools to the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) to show their support for the policy in favour of tea money

[mca]

"I don't think one can force others to kill themselves that way, but people with HIV/Aids may think they will die soon anyway, and may want to make their deaths useful," he said

.

I'm sure they'd much rather die in bed surrounded by their loved ones mashed to the tits on morphine than dying in self immolated extreme agony supporting a minor cause but who knows? There's nowt stranger that folk.

[chinook]

"I don't think one can force others to kill themselves that way, but people with HIV/Aids may think they will die soon anyway, and may want to make their deaths useful," Mongkholkit Suksintharanont, said. ..........can somebody torch this moron, he' suffering from terminal stupidity.

Edited May 30, 2012 by chinook

[gand]

Yossarin Talabnark, a senior official at an education office in Ayutthaya, led 20 students from four schools to the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) to show their support for the policy in favour of tea money

There are websites where you can report corruption and bribes, exposing and documenting corruption is a first step. Did they post their protests on youtube?

[Moruya]

These parents have a real case but the protest is descending into a farce of Tom Sharpe proportions.

Trying to turn a few terminally ill AIDS patients into latter day Jan Palaks over some school places is distasteful in the extreme.

Even worse it will give ideas to Jatuporn, Nattawut and cohorts

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect App

Certainly distasteful, but I think it gives some insight about the level of anger and frustration parents feel with the way the education of their children is handled.

But it is rather Thaksinesque - find me some martyrs

[sirchai]

Chinnaphat said he did not know why the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had agreed to initially look into the matter and possibly inspect the assets of directors of 20 schools at the request of Mongkholkit.

However, the agency has not yet decided whether to officially investigate the matter.

Edited May 30, 2012 by sirchai

[Payboy]

It's really time to bring out the straight jackets when a mob gathers in support of tea money.

Edited May 31, 2012 by Payboy