NCPO gives FCCT talk on academic freedom the green light
Kasamakorn Chanwanpen
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) gave the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand to hold a discussion on “Academic Freedom under the Military” on Wednesday evening after visiting the club before the event kicked off.

The speakers at the event were Pongkwan Sawasdipak from Thammasat University, Ekachai Chainuvati from Siam University and Titipol Phakdeewanich from Ubon Ratchathani University.

Hours before the event kicked off, some military and police officers showed up at the club to talk with FCCT president Jonathan Head, who is also a BBC correspondent. The officers said they were worried the discussion would cause disorder.

After Head assured them that the discussion would be orderly, the officers gave the event the green light.

Since the coup in 2014, the junta has often banned events hosted by the FCCT. Most of the banned events were discussions related to freedom of expression, human rights and democracy.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/NCPO-gives-FCCT-talk-on-academic-freedom-the-green-30275104.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-17

No doubt military/or and police officers will be present during the discussion to insure that no disorder occurs.

Now could allowing this discussion to go ahead be PR for the benefit of the up coming visit of a US diplomat that has no problem calling out the junta and it's use of certain laws that are manipulated to shut people up? or is it just a show of good will and they have nothing to hide or be afraid of?

Let's not be churlish.It's progress of sorts but there is still a long and difficult road ahead.

Seems the police and military were the only ones causing problems.

That baying mob of 200 nationalists led by the mad monk did cause some disruption. Yet no arrests have been made. Seems you can express opinions as long as its in favour of our dear overlords.