Ubon Ratchathani – (16 Oct. 20): More than 500 students from various faculties at Ubon Ratchathani University gathered at 9:30 p.m. tonight at the Faculty of Law under the banner, “Ubon U will not tolerate,” issuing a statement denouncing the government’s use of violence against demonstrators in Bangkok on and calling for the release of all protesters.
The statement was made by the Torch Group, the Ubon Ratchathani University Student Council, and eight other student clubs, demanding “Stop harassing people, students, and all forms of students.” Students from a wide array of faculties at the university were also represented, including the faculties of Political Science, Liberal Arts, Law, Engineering, Science, Pharmacy, and Administration as well as the COllege of Medicine and Public Health.
The statement said that in demonstrating, “The People’s Party” had “exercised all its rights and freedoms” but demonstrators were attacked by police and protesters were injured. “This action is illegal,” the statement said, “And it should not have happened in Thailand.”
The statement criticized the use of an emergency decree in the early hours of October 15 and the authorities’ laying all blame on the demonstrators in their attempt to surround Government House. On October 16, “citizens and students who had joined peacefully” were suppressed by the “brutal use of power” by the state “to defeat the people.”
The Ubon University front “condemned” the state’s violence against protesters and condemned as well “some media that created news that has incited hatred among the people, including propaganda , fake news, and hate speech” as a way of justifying the state’s actions.
The statement said further that, “In eliminating political dissent and showing disinterest in the lives of citizens and students,” the state was acting against national interests as “students will be the future of the nation.”
The statement made the following demands:
–Every university should support student activities
–Universities should ensure students’ rights and freedoms to express their thoughts and positions
–Universities should set up a bail fund for students arrested by the authorities
–The authorities should stop obstructing the public’s stance
–The severe Emergency Decree should be rescinded and all political activists should be released
–The Prime Minister and Senators should resign and dissolve the House
–The draft constitution of the people should be accepted
