Tackling the dark side of Thai university initiation rites

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Tackling the dark side of Thai university initiation rites

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

 

 

BANGKOK — One of the annual controversies surrounding Thai university education is the initiation rites for freshmen students which often turn autocratic, abusive and even sadistic.

 

Chulalongkorn University student leader Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal is trying to turn his university into an example of good practice and the council he leads recently asked students heed six recommendations in a bid to eradicate the controversies of such practice.

 

The six recommendations are the respect for human rights without ethnic, gender, age or religious discrimination; the non-enforcement of initiation rites on students; the financial transparency in initiation-rite-related spending; the banning of harassment threats against freshmen; the maintenance of good hygiene and the openness of activities to outsiders.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/culture/2017/07/18/tackling-dark-side-thai-university-initiation-rites/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-07-18

[YetAnother]

46 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

asked students heed six recommendations

guy is TOTALLY out of touch; self regulation does NOT work here

[clockman]

Nice attitude, for so called Buddhists!

[ukrules]

Like training monkeys, doesn't work.

[sandemara]

Ridiculous rituals, BS colonial traditions imposed by people who lack any regard for values relevant to Thailand.. Surely a university community with aspirations to international recognition and respect for developing intellects and enlightened values ought to be able to come up with celebrations or associated events that reflect genuine traditional Thai/Buddhist ethos rather than leaving themselves open to derision for their lack of originality.

[inquisitive]

Let me see ... frightening, humiliating, and abusing freshmen has the effect of making them feel less lonely? Did I understand that correctly?

Or are the rituals merely a manifestation of the seniors' sadistic impulses which they rationalize by saying that the freshmen deserve it because the seniors went through the same thing 3 years ago.

But isn't that like a father saying that it is ok to beat and burn his child because he himself had a sadistic parent?

When will the university start acting like they are run by responsible adults? These activities bring shame and scorn to Thailand.

The universities represent the intellectual elite of the country. What does that say about this society?