Army Claims Arrest of Chiang Mai Academics was to Protect Reputation of Academic Institutions

[snoop1130]

Army Claims Arrest of Chiang Mai Academics was to Protect Reputation of Academic Institutions

by CityNews

 

 

CityNews – The Peace and Order Maintaining Command in Chiang Mai issued a clarification on the charge against five International Thai Studies Conference members on the 21st August, explaining that the charge was not about organising the forum but about a featured banner, heavily shared on social media, which authorities considered a political activity.

 

The declaration letter was announced on August 22nd by the military headquarters at Circle 33 reading:

 

1. The Peace and Order Maintaining Command in Chiang Mai fully encouraged the 13th International Thai Studies Conference and all academic activities that support the national advancement. The charge is not for participating in the forum.

2. On July 18th, during the forum, a group of people showed up holding a banner which read “An academic forum, not a military camp”, in front of a conference room 2 with equipment ready to propagate, and took turns taking photos with the banner. Such activity is considered a political activity. The authority tried to ask them to cease but did not receive cooperation.

 

Full Story: http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news/army-claims-arrest-of-chiang-mai-academics-was-to-protect-reputation-of-academic-institutions/

 

-- © Copyright Chiang City News 2017-8-23

[heybruce]

"An academic forum, not a military camp"

 

Maybe it loses something in translation, it seems like an unnecessary statement of the obvious.  However it definitely doesn't seem like grounds to arrest five people.

[cmsally]

I'm lost, which part is the "political activity", the academic half of the sentence or the military half of the sentence. There are not many words it should be easy to explain.

[Ruffian Dick]

4 hours ago, heybruce said:

"An academic forum, not a military camp"

 

Maybe it loses something in translation, it seems like an unnecessary statement of the obvious.  However it definitely doesn't seem like grounds to arrest five people.

At lot of things are lost in translation: "The charge is not for participating in the forum."

[YetAnother]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

fully encouraged the 13th International Thai Studies Conference and all academic activities that support the national advancement

national advancement as Only WE define it

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Such activity is considered a political activity.

no politics involved at all; quite apolitical; a jab at the army ? sure; hardly a crime

[klauskunkel]

It's quite clear. The only entity that can engage in political activities is the military. Period. Furthermore, the military as the only remaining expert on political activities, may interpret said activities however the heck they want. 

[nahkit]

13 hours ago, heybruce said:

"An academic forum, not a military camp"

 

Maybe it loses something in translation, it seems like an unnecessary statement of the obvious.  However it definitely doesn't seem like grounds to arrest five people.

An earlier report said they had made the banner in response to the military sending soldiers to observe the forum.

[Canceraid]

All I can say is that there is no more hope for thailand and its really time to leave...the problem is that I have been saying that for the last 18 months but am still here as I am really screwed!!!! I have been trying to sell all my assets ie numerous condos in Bangkok and in Chiang Mai and Phuket and also land and houses and shop houses under my thai bf's name (he too ones to leave Thailand and has been nagging constantly as he too sees no hope in this country.)We have even been discounting like crazy...we only have thai prospects but most have problems getting bank loans. The rich thais with cash will make stupid offers like 50% off your original buying price (no need to talk about appreciation costs or current market values etc anymore in this market!). Thanks to the bloody  stupid and both equally corrupted yellow and red shorts groups, this country is truly screwed.

[heybruce]

13 hours ago, heybruce said:

"An academic forum, not a military camp"

 

Maybe it loses something in translation, it seems like an unnecessary statement of the obvious.  However it definitely doesn't seem like grounds to arrest five people.

 

26 minutes ago, nahkit said:

An earlier report said they had made the banner in response to the military sending soldiers to observe the forum.

So the banner may have been a very low keyed, humorous swipe at military oversight of an academic conference?  If so, the paranoia of the military government is frightening. 

[cmsally]

From what I read it was seminar participants who complained because "observers" were going in and out at will, whereas participants had registered and paid for the seminar.

This is the kind of thing that makes long term expats think very seriously about future plans. I know a lot of people who have already left. Thailand is becoming a strange Gestalt consensus and not in a good way.

[YetAnother]

On 8/23/2017 at 5:35 PM, snoop1130 said:

Protect Reputation of Academic Institutions

i suspect the army is at the very bottom of the list of entities qualified to say such things

[YetAnother]

On 8/23/2017 at 5:35 PM, snoop1130 said:

Such activity is considered a political activity.

over the line; such logic is a small step away from saying :'we are arresting you to protect you from {something}'

[Ruffian Dick]

On 8/23/2017 at 7:25 PM, Canceraid said:

All I can say is that there is no more hope for thailand and its really time to leave...the problem is that I have been saying that for the last 18 months but am still here as I am really screwed!!!! I have been trying to sell all my assets ie numerous condos in Bangkok and in Chiang Mai and Phuket and also land and houses and shop houses under my thai bf's name (he too ones to leave Thailand and has been nagging constantly as he too sees no hope in this country.)We have even been discounting like crazy...we only have thai prospects but most have problems getting bank loans. The rich thais with cash will make stupid offers like 50% off your original buying price (no need to talk about appreciation costs or current market values etc anymore in this market!). Thanks to the bloody  stupid and both equally corrupted yellow and red shorts groups, this country is truly screwed.

I hope you have a country to return to that is not equally screwed.

[Ruffian Dick]

Obviously this is Yingluck territory, and although I'm not well-versed in the troubles that brought Thailand to this point, I suspect that there were rebellious elements in CMU in those days. Can any old hands confirm this?

Edited August 28, 2017 by Ruffian Dick

[cmsally]

6 hours ago, Ruffian Dick said:

Obviously this is Yingluck territory, and although I'm not well-versed in the troubles that brought Thailand to this point, I suspect that there were rebellious elements in CMU in those days. Can any old hands confirm this?

Actually not, I seem to remember CMU as being rather "yellow".

[heybruce]

12 hours ago, Ruffian Dick said:

Obviously this is Yingluck territory, and although I'm not well-versed in the troubles that brought Thailand to this point, I suspect that there were rebellious elements in CMU in those days. Can any old hands confirm this?

In "those days"?  What days?  I don't ever recall life in Chiang Mai changing in the least during protests in Bangkok going back over ten years.  After the 2010 crackdown in Bangkok and the 2014 coup there were attempts at small protests that were quickly stifled by the army and police.

 

This topic is not about a crackdown on dangerous protesters and revolutionaries, it's about a crackdown on freedom of thought and expression.  Clearly the junta considers these freedoms a danger.

[Ruffian Dick]

On 8/28/2017 at 5:11 PM, cmsally said:

Actually not, I seem to remember CMU as being rather "yellow".

CMU or Chiang Mai?

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1416916/red-shirts-ready-resist-thai-army-coup-set-capital-chiang-mai

I don't know, I'm a stranger here myself.

Looks like it was pretty hairy back then.

[heybruce]

14 hours ago, Ruffian Dick said:

CMU or Chiang Mai?

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1416916/red-shirts-ready-resist-thai-army-coup-set-capital-chiang-mai

I don't know, I'm a stranger here myself.

Looks like it was pretty hairy back then.

In the months before the coup there was a lot of talk, but little action.  Life in Chiang Mai was very normal during the protests in Bangkok

 

After the coup there were a few attempts at protests in Chiang Mai (and probably other places, but news censorship kept reporting minimal) that were very quickly quashed.  There was a curfew that began at 7 pm that was strictly enforced and many military roadblocks and truckloads of soldiers driving around for intimidation purposes. 

 

Before the coup, life as normal.  After the coup there were curfews, roadblocks, censorship, etc., all making life really boring and depressing, but no rebellion.

[Ruffian Dick]

On 8/28/2017 at 5:11 PM, cmsally said:

Actually not, I seem to remember CMU as being rather "yellow".

This here prof doesn't seem too "yellow":

https://prachatai.com/english/node/7304

-With of course the proviso: "The content in this page is not produced by Prachatai staff. Prachatai merely provides a platform, and the opinions stated here do not necessarily reflect those of Prachatai."