Chulalongkorn Fine and Applied Arts Faculty dean apologizes for Hitler graduation mural

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Chulalongkorn Fine and Applied Arts Faculty dean apologizes for Hitler graduation mural
By Coconuts Bangkok


Photo: Simon Wiesenthal Center

BANGKOK: -- Chulalonkgorn Dean of Fine and Applied Arts Faculty Associate Professor Supakorn Dispan apologized to the public yesterday for the benightedness of his students for putting up a superhero-inspired graduation mural that also featured the visage of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

The apology followed a comment made on July 12 by an official at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a US-based Jewish human rights organization. The Center framed its commentary with the headline, “Wiesenthal Center outraged and disgusted by the silence of University’s Elite.”

The Center accompanied its writing with a photo of a fresh graduate doing a “Seig Heil” salute, a gesture of greeting in Nazi Germany, in front of the mural. [more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/07/15/fine-and-applied-arts-facultys-dean-apologizes-hitler-graduation-mural

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-07-15

[NongKhaiKid]

What's the point of apologising to presumably the Thai public as they have no idea who or what he was and even if they did they wouldn't give a monkey's ?

[buhi]

Oh dear!

[harrry]

Not really an apology...an explanation of good and bad superheroes.

My view it either needs a full apolgy...with no conditions or none.

[rak sa_ngop]

I am a bit embarrased about my own benightedness.

To save others the trouble of looking this word up it means:

Being in a state of moral or intellectual darkness; unenlightened.

[CelticBhoy]

I would prefer her to rip open her shirt like Superman.

[Thai at Heart]

Benightedness.

Wow. Someone obviously found their thesaurus.

[sjjmmi]

I would prefer her to rip open her shirt like Superman.

+1

[NCC1701A]

A dean of a collage in any country does not know who Hitler is or what he did or why this maybe a problem?

A dean of a collage in any country sees Hitler in a student mural and does nothing?

Collage students don't know what the problem is?

Students are doing a Nazi salute in front of all the people attending the graduation?

I try to make my friends understand Thailand but they all think I am exaggerating.

Maybe this mural should be at the airport so when the next group of Euro bankers come into town they will feel really welcome.

Has the IMF seen this yet? Good luck with that!

[ABCer]

Come, study at Chula... we are the best in Thailand... we guarantee to make you as benighted as Adolph.

Says Assoc. Professor Supacorn Dispan,

Dean, Fine and Applied Arts Faculty, Chulalongkorn.

P.S. and some lunatic here said Chula is on par with Oxford, Harvard, Yale and Cambridge... Really!

P.P.S. Baht is bound to go up this month...

[retell]

Not really an apology...an explanation of good and bad superheroes.

My view it either needs a full apolgy...with no conditions or none.

maybe they apologise for the terrible paintjob they all look like painted by a 8 year old

if this is their definition of "FINE art " please close the collage

[Thai at Heart]

I would prefer her to rip open her shirt like Superman.

What a truly ignorant and horrendous picture.

[jackh]

Sad to see the reality of Thailand. Since the late 90's I've see Thailand degenerate into a a rather screwed up country. Thai people are about as bad as they come in my eyes.

This Hitler thing is just another nail in the coffin for Thailand's image "The Land of Smiles".

More like "The Land of Hiels"

What a dump.

[Thaddeus]

I suggest that this Uni should organise some field trips to a museum in Kanchanaburi.

[CrisRMenumate]

Try and tell a Thai why it is inappropriate and wrong... and they will just tell you that foreigners have no right to tell them what to do because they were never colonised... their general benightedness knows no bounds...

[elsmido]

Many complaining about this may remember Price Harry of the UK Parading around at a Uni party in Nazi regalia.

I presume he knew what he was doing!

[NongKhaiKid]

If we reverse the situation I think we all what the reaction would be if a figure that Thais reviled was to be depicted like this somewhere else in the world

[Lancelot]

A little awareness and sensitivity to what is offensive to others would go a long way in this world...

[zappalot]

brain - less brain - no brain

any third comparison? maybe (at least some) Thai students?

[laurentbkk]

As a so called DEAN of the most prestigious university , he should look closely in what student are doing .... apologies after few days is not acceptable , he should resign.

[buhi]

It is sad, ignorance is sad and college is spelt this way.But it is Thailand and they have their own guilty secrets!

[Carl64]

Someone for got to tell them, Hitler was also anti Asian. Blonde hair and blue eyes only.

[Wavefloater]

When the Thailand Ministry of Education mandates that 90% of classroom time is used to indoctrinate students to believe that they are superior to everyone, especially their ASEAN neighbours, and spent virtually no time teaching things like history, geography, mathematics, etc., this is what happens.

One of the most unfortunate things about this situation is that nothing will be learned by anyone involved. I suspect that even the "professor" (if you can call such an idiot that) doesn't really know what's wrong with this picture (literally).

Perhaps if someone could actually get Thais to understand that if Hitler had been successful, Thais wouldn't exist because they lack those class Aryan features -- white skin, blond hair, and blues eyes, they might stop begin so enamored with Hitler.

[laurentbkk]

Many complaining about this may remember Price Harry of the UK Parading around at a Uni party in Nazi regalia.

I presume he knew what he was doing!

totally agreed on that , unacceptable from Prince Harry ...

[PhilipCook]

The reach of 'the center' is limitless as is the benightedness of the institution. In short, 'the center' shouldn't/shouldn't have to step in because the university should be grooming Thailand's best and brightest to be leaders in society, not misfits.

[wilcopops]

Now look here! - What sort of apology is this? _ I think we can learn a lot from this pronouncement...and none of it positive.

I'd like to know if it was originally made in English or Thai language?

Anyhow, somewhere along the line it picks up the word benighted - what kind of vocabulary is that????

" in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance, typically owing to a lack of opportunity:"

It is a word I don't often use but intend to make a lot more use of, especially when referring to high-ranking officials and institutions in Thailand - so thanks for that.

There are 2 possibilities...

1 - He'd been trying with his colleagues to dream up a statement to save face - i.e. blame it on the students

OR

2 - It is TRUE!

So - are we now to accept that the students were in in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance, typically owing to a lack of opportunity: and this is from - THE VERY PERSON WHOSE JOB IT IS TO OVERSEE THEIR EDUCATION!!!!!!

Either way I would say that if this is the best the dean can do he should resign!

[Loaded]

I suggest that this Uni should organise some field trips to a museum in Kanchanaburi.

That was the Japanese. Did you not know that?

[kotsak]

Got this from internet (FB in particular)..

[ETatBKK]

I suggest that this Uni should organise some field trips to a museum in Kanchanaburi.

should invite Associate Professor Supakorn Dispan as the lead of this field trip.

a bit of disappointing this 'apology' is not made by the PRESIDENT of the university. why grill the doers ?

[animatic]

I would prefer her to rip open her shirt like Superman.

What a truly ignorant and horrendous picture.

As well as the horrendous apology attempt.

Hitler is not a bad super hero, or bad uber mensche.

At most he might be called an anti-hero, the antithesis of a hero.

But really he personifies all that the actual cartoon super heros portraied fight against.

To imply that students are fine art students based on this graduation mural is ludicrous.

Mis-Applied artists at best. Bloody fools at worst.