A group of former and present students of the faculty of journalism and mass communication at Thammasat University on Thursday submitted a letter to the university rector asking for legal and disciplinary action against the seven academics comprising the Nitirat group.
The Journalism students and alumni announced the move during a rally on Thursday.
They asked members of the Thammasat community to oppose Nitirat's proposal for the amendment of Section 112 of the Criminal Code relating to lese majeste, for the university to launch a legal and disciplinary investigation of the seven law lecturers, for the mass media to exercise discretion in presenting information on the proposed amendment, and for people in all walks of life to oppose any move deemed insulting to the monarchy.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, a former lecturer at Thammasat, expressed concern over the university's ongoing internal conflict over Section 112 since the university administration decided to ban Nitirat from using its campuses to stage activities related to the lese majeste law.
He said the administrators should invite all parties concerned to meet and explain to them that the university still supports activities showing academic freedom. They should find a way out together if any of the activities turned out to be problematic.
Mr Abhisit said he believed the campus conflict would not have been a problem if politicians had not interfered.
Pheu Thai Party list MP Jatuporn Prompan claimed on Thursday the Nitirat's intention in proposing the reform of the lese majeste law was to protect the monarchy, but it had been misrepresented by groups of people who want to use it as a pretext for toppling the government.
Mr Jatuporn, a core member of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, said he did not deny the fact that the UDD and the Nitirat group were linked.
However, Nitirat, Pheu Thai and the UDD were independent of each other in terms of opinions, he said.
"We never deny we are linked, but Nitirat has it own opinions. I have a firm belief that Nitirat's proposal is intended to protect the high institution, but it has been distorted and made the subject of false accusations.
"In fact, Somkid Lertpaithoon, the rector of Thammasat University, should let the truth be known - that Thammasat University is where the Oct 6, 1976 bloodshed took place and this led to an amendment of Section 112," he said.
Mr Jatuporn said it was his understanding the Nitirat group proposed the amendment to Section 112 because the law had been misused by the previous government to persecute people with different opinions.
He said in 2002 there were no cases related to Section 112, but in 2009 the number of lese majest cases had swollen to over 100.
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- Writer: Online Reporters
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