POLITICS
Thai students in UK spurn invite to have lunch with Phongthep
Chanon Wongsatayanont
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A group of Thai students at the Oxford University in the United Kingdom has turned down an invitation to have lunch with Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana, reasoning that he and the government supported and passed the Amnesty Bill that violated and contravened the constitution.

The students sent a letter to Phongthep on Sunday which was signed by Duangnapa Kovanich and Thaya Uthayaphas on behalf of the Thai students who opposed the Amnesty Bill. They were invited by the Office of Educational Affairs (UK) to have lunch with Phongthep on Saturday. The letter said: "Dear Mr Phongthep Thepkanjana, Deputy Prime Minister. Thai students at the University of Oxford who oppose the Amnesty Bill do not welcome your visit to Oxford."

They said they opposed the amnesty bill which would have pardoned those who carried out unlawful acts of violent unrest between the year 2004 and August 8, 2013.

"We note that you, as a Deputy Prime Minister and a senior member of the current government, supported the passage of the bill at every stage of its parliamentary process. We consider that the current government's conduct during the deliberations of the bill as well as its specific contents of the bill violate and contravene both the 2007 Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand and the constitutional monarchy form of our democracy," read the letter.

They said they could not accept the parliamentary manoeuvrings employed by the current government, which have undermined the integrity of the genuine democratic process.

"Contrary to the government's tactics, we believe that a true democracy is not the same as majoritarianism, that the voice of the minority, political decency, and the rule of law must be upheld."

The government including Phongthep and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra have failed to correct or show remorse for any of the injustice stated here and, moreover, have chosen to astonishingly ignored the protests of hundreds of thousands who opposed their actions, read the letter.

"Therefore, we, the Thai students at Oxford University who oppose the Amnesty Bill, do not wish to have any involvement with your coming visit to Oxford - an involvement which could be interpreted as lending support for the government and the bill," said the letter.

However, they decided to refrain from holding any open protest against Phongthep's visit for the sake of the Office of Educational Affairs (UK) and the Oxford Thai Society

-- The Nation 2013-11-24

Good on them.

That's because they have an education.

Those PTP goons need to start understanding, they only have control over the uneducated who deem that a 500 baht note as more important to them than a good government, a secure nation, stable economy and a better future.

They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted.

They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted.

Nope, I personally think they did the right thing.

I think accepting his invitation to heckle him is what is actually the stupid and childish option.

They are at Oxford, the bastion of gentlemanly conduct.

Hence they chose not to protest for respect towards the Thai Society of Oxford.

It's just not how one behaves at Oxford.

I feel it is you who is being shortsighted. By putting it in writing and showing it to the world is are more effective than a face to face talk where nobody else would know what went on. That was why Oxford allowed them in .........................

They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted.

Nope, I personally think they did the right thing.

I think accepting his invitation to heckle him is what is actually the stupid and childish option.

They are at Oxford, the bastion of gentlemanly conduct.

Hence they chose not to protest for respect towards the Thai Society of Oxford.

It's just not how one behaves at Oxford.

'heckle' is your word. I'm sure Oxford students know how to have an intelligent exchange of view points, without whistles, etc.

They could even use video instead of 'putting it in writing'...

In an open letter to the Thai society at the UK's Oxford University Mr Phongthep Thepkanjarna wrote, after receiving the student's letter spurning his invitation to them to meet:

"you speak no good, i boxing you...you want to die today?

and he then attempted to gather a gang of Thai taxi motorbike drivers to go with him to Oxford in order to give the students a savage and possibly fatal beating using various weapons including knives, chairs and slabs of concrete.

Thai students haven't done anything.

Someone claiming to represent Thai students sent the letter, I'm betting they didn't even ask any Thai students.

They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted.

You obviously don't get it. This is exactly what they shouldn't do, ignoring this Government goon is far better. Good for them, they have acted in a manner that one would expect from educated students. More face loss for Phongthep.

Thai students at Oxford - a real barometer of Thai public opinion. Not.

Knowing how spiteful and revenge minded the Thaksin clan is, i expect they will have their passports revoked.

They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted.

You obviously don't get it. This is exactly what they shouldn't do, ignoring this Government goon is far better. Good for them, they have acted in a manner that one would expect from educated students. More face loss for Phongthep.

You're right. I don't get it. You want educated students to ignore the problem - and the uneducated, in the streets, not ignoring the problem?

I wonder how many Thai students there are at Oxford University and how many went to Thai schools first.

They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted.

You obviously don't get it. This is exactly what they shouldn't do, ignoring this Government goon is far better. Good for them, they have acted in a manner that one would expect from educated students. More face loss for Phongthep.

You're right. I don't get it. You want educated students to ignore the problem - and the uneducated, in the streets, not ignoring the problem?

You are over simplyfing this. They were invited to a dinner, they refused it. I think that is exactly what they should do. There are other avenues of protest as well, but in this instance turning down the invitation, and making the point I. Writing is more than ample. I also don't think you can say that street protests are just the realm of the uneducated. I've got a number of friends who have been out at the protests in Bangkok, they are certainly educated professionals. This is a slap in the face for Pongthep, who was probably hoping for a nice trip to the UK, and a friendly reception.

There's nothing like a 'slap in the face' when trying to solve a problem. Maybe that's why it took so long to reach a nuclear deal with Iran.

By my estimation the students hjave already accomplished more than many, by their subtle approach protest. Their written refusal to meet the DPM made the newspaper here, and its noted on TV.

Maybe the students have heard that "the pen is mighter than the sword", their blast at the current government has in all likelyhood, already been heard/read than the number who would have attended the lunch.

TheThai reception committees have not been real favorable to the Shin family when travelling to countries with a funct8ioning government in the last few months.

'They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted'

No - what they did was to put their own views forward and stick by them because they felt them strongly. Whether readers of this forum agree with them or not, they took advantage of the invaluable democratic asset of freedom of speech, still relatively common in the UK.

Perhaps, one day , the entire Thai population will be able and willing to do the same. Changes bringing in a truly democratic state such as most of us have enjoyed (or otherwise!) in the past, might just be the result.

They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted.

Nope, I personally think they did the right thing.

I think accepting his invitation to heckle him is what is actually the stupid and childish option.

They are at Oxford, the bastion of gentlemanly conduct.

Hence they chose not to protest for respect towards the Thai Society of Oxford.

It's just not how one behaves at Oxford.

'heckle' is your word. I'm sure Oxford students know how to have an intelligent exchange of view points, without whistles, etc.

They could even use video instead of 'putting it in writing'...

You think ptp would let that happen?

thailand discourages anyone having views on political analysis ,it has the mindset of a totalitarian state.Free independent thinking and action are positively looked down on by the elite and education establishment.Look what the reaction was when students wanted to join demonstration on the amnesty bill,they were attacked and threatened. If you talk to students who even study "politics"at university it's devoid of open discussion and just rhetoric from the educational establishment under the watch of their paymasters.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted.

It's always difficult to balance the pros and cons of different approaches.

I must admit my first thought was that maybe they missed a chance to address him personally but it's quite possible that it could be used as propaganda for the government. That would be difficult if they'd met him and then had a noisy protest or heckled him but they obviously didn't want to go down that route which would have damaged their reputation. If they didn't do that it would be easy to just report their meeting and use it to show him and the government in a good light.

The students and I may both be wrong but at least they've made their views known in a well mannered fashion which I certainly wouldn't call stupid or childish.

They missed an opportunity to tell him all those things (and more) to his face. Sometimes the educated can be stupid, childish and shortsighted.

Nope, I personally think they did the right thing.

I think accepting his invitation to heckle him is what is actually the stupid and childish option.

They are at Oxford, the bastion of gentlemanly conduct.

Hence they chose not to protest for respect towards the Thai Society of Oxford.

It's just not how one behaves at Oxford.

Oxford the bastion of gentlemanly conduct? Not sure I'd ever go that far!

But kudos to the Thais at 'the other place' for showing some principle here.

That's because they have an education.

Those PTP goons need to start understanding, they only have control over the uneducated who deem that a 500 baht note as more important to them than a good government, a secure nation, stable economy and a better future.

That's because they have an education.

And it´s not from Kentucky State University.

AFAICT -- No students signed the letter, so it does not represent anything other than the writer's own views.

That's because they have an education.

Those PTP goons need to start understanding, they only have control over the uneducated who deem that a 500 baht note as more important to them than a good government, a secure nation, stable economy and a better future.

What better future? Being silenced by an undemocratic, army-backed and rich minority? The Brave New World you are longing for?

Thai students at Oxford - a real barometer of Thai public opinion. Not.

Nope, maybe not, but their opinion is exactly that of the 'up to 1 million' anti-government protesters currently mobilised in and towards Bangkok.

If you don't call that a barometer of public opinion, then I don't know what is.

That's because they have an education.

 

Those PTP goons need to start understanding, they only have control over the uneducated who deem that a 500 baht note as more important to them than a good government, a secure nation, stable economy and a better future.

What better future? Being silenced by an undemocratic, army-backed and rich minority? The Brave New World you are longing for? 

you got the "rich minority"right .minority of one.and replace "silenced" with"brainwashed"

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

A bought and paid for 'barometer' … (both sides)

A bought and paid for 'barometer' … (both sides)

You really think that the opposition want 1 million at 500 baht a day?

That's half a billion a day.

Apart from which, in a month of protests. there has been not a single case of payment to the protesters brought to light.

Where in contrast, there is plenty (including video on youtube) of the reds being handed out their money.

Again, true public opinion versus 'rent a mob'.

I'm done with this argument now, you clearly are showing your colour, and people like you never let go no matter how lame you make yourself look to the majority of others, so I will save your blushes and agree to disagree.

Thai students at Oxford - a real barometer of Thai public opinion. Not.

Many Thai students at Oxford...are you jealous...