Uthenthawai students and alumni declare truce with Pathumwan rivals
Current students and alumni of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-Ok’s Uthenthawai campus have pledged to end violent clashes with their long-standing rivals from Pathumwan Institute of Technology as they prepare to return to campus following its closure on September 9.
The Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation has scheduled a meeting for tomorrow with representatives of the rival institutions and relevant agencies to resolve the long-running conflict.
Chirathiti Phanmanee, president of the Uthenthawai Alumni Association, said today that more than 1,000 students had been affected by the 90-day campus closure, as they were unable to attend in-person classes or conduct laboratory work. An alternative venue for laboratory work, which had been promised by the science minister, has also failed to materialise, he added.
The land on which the campus stands is being reclaimed by Chulalongkorn University for development into an educational hub. Uthenthawai, however, has maintained that the land was granted to the institution by King Rama VI and has resisted relocation.
Chirathiti said he was unsure whether a new campus for Uthenthawai would be ready for students, as construction had not been completed. He suggested that the relocation decision be reviewed.
Both Uthenthawai and Pathumwan institutes are to be relocated outside Bangkok in a bid to end several decades of clashes between their students.
During a panel discussion today, Chetuphon Promphan questioned whether the land currently occupied by Uthenthawai would be developed for commercial purposes, saying such a move could run counter to the wishes of the late King Rama VI.
He also argued that the 90-day closure of the campus to in-person learning was illegal, saying it had affected many students who had no involvement in the land dispute.
Another panellist, Nithithorn Lamlua, said the campus closure amounted to interference and undermined the quality of the curriculum.