Ramkhamhaeng University has long been a hotbed of activism, with students from the South having a history of being politically engaged and fighting for their rights.
OPPOSING FACTION: Ramkhamhaeng students gather in front of the university to oppose the red shirts at Rajamangala National Stadium last Saturday.
Newly appointed Nation TV editor-in-chief Weerasak Pongaksorn was chairman of one of the famed Ramkhamhaeng student societies, or clubs, the Volunteers for Development for Hilltribers Club. He said the large number of southerners in the student body was one of the reasons for the university's history of political activity.
Mr Weerasak said students at Ramkhamhaeng are among the most politically aware in Thailand, largely because of their social backgrounds and the environment and support they find at the university.
In the South, people are generally politically aware and participate in politics in their daily lives; this could take the form of anything from discussions in coffee shops to working for their communities, he said.
Southern people have a long history of fighting against the state, and there is a proverb that reflects their personality: ''If you don't fight and topple the authorities, you will not be free from suppression and poverty.''
IN LIMBO: Ramkhamhaeng University has been closed since last weekend’s shooting. PHOTO: CHAIYOT YONGCHAROENCHAI
Mr Weerasak, who is a southerner himself, said that attitude has been passed from generation to generation and it is no surprise that people from the region have a history of involvement in major political changes.
Ramkhamhaeng students who come from the South are influenced by such an attitude from a young age, Mr Weerasak said. When they get to university, they are generally exposed to many new ideas, because Ramkhamhaeng is an open university where students are given plenty of time for self-study, and are free to take part in a wide range of activities, including clubs and politics.
But the university's traditions of freedom of political thought and radicalism have resulted in current students gaining a negative reputation by association. One student, Ake, told Spectrum that when the bullets began to fly last weekend, those from the South were viewed with suspicion.
''I live near the university, and as soon as the shooting started on Saturday evening, we [southerners] were looked at as terrorists,'' Ake said.
Ake explained that even friends who were not involved with any political movement were still being blamed just because they were from the South.
''Many people said that the southern students must be behind the incident. Just because we are from the south of Thailand doesn't make us the bad people,'' he said.
The students were automatically linked to the outbreak of violence because they come from a region used to disputes and conflict. Even those who had no part in the incident were branded jone Tai (southern criminals).
Ake said that it is true that many students come from the South and there are many different clubs named after the provinces they came from.
''Many students at our university come from the South because this is the university of the people. We have freedom of belief and expression, and this is a good university with affordable tuition fees. Most of us are farmers' children,'' he said.
OLD BOY: Jatuporn Prompan was a Ramkhamhaeng student leader during 1992’s Black May incident. PHOTO: PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL
''By nature, southern people are known for having a strong sense of commitment to our communities. We support each other and we never leave anyone behind.
''When our people get into trouble, we never hesitate to help settle an issue,'' he said. Ake added that southern people are peace-loving and are culturally, socially and politically diverse.
''Southern people are not all committed Democrat Party supporters, we also have people with different beliefs. But no matter who we support, we live together peacefully, in harmony,'' he said.
The Siam Intelligence news and analysis website notes in a recent article titled ''Politics in Ramkhamhaeng'' that there are more than 60 clubs for students to join at Ramkhamhaeng University.
The article continues that there are many areas set aside for students to meet and engage in activities together.
Mr Weerasak said the environment at the university also plays a crucial role in nurturing students' political attitudes. They are encouraged to take part in university activities, and the clubs are a great avenue for exploring and analysing society and ideas such as the anti-capitalism movement, socialism and other concepts.
Students are encouraged to take part in the clubs, and the clubs are financially supported by the university, which helps students continue their activities and pass their ideas from one generation to the next, Mr Weerasak said. ''There is a continuity in their activities,'' he said.
Mr Weerasak has seen that those taking part in social activities, such as volunteering to develop rural communities, tend to continue with their involvement after they graduate. Several former students work in non-profit organisations, while others work in the media with the hope that they will be able to make changes for the better in society.
Those who engage in student politics tend to continue their activity in national politics. Several former students, including current prominent politicians such as Jatuporn Prompan and Watchara Petchthong, play a role in national politics. Mr Jatuporn and Mr Watchara were student leaders from Ramkhamhaeng during the violence of Black May, 1992. Both are now politicians in different camps, one Pheu Thai, the other a Democrat.
Students at Ramkhamhaeng are also encouraged to take part in the university's administration via the elections for its executives, including its rector. The Siam Intelligence website notes that this is part of the reason that students at the university learn to play politics. Society today is leaning towards materialism, Mr Weerasak said, and this has an effect on all students' attitudes and ideas, but the politics of Ramkhamhaeng students remain relatively strong when compared with their contemporaries at other universities.
''If you look at the reasons behind the students' attitudes and activities, you'll understand. It's no surprise that we see Ramkhamhaeng students taking part in politics, from the October 14, 1973, revolution to the conflict today,'' Mr Weerasak said.
STANDING UP: Southern students also took part in last week’s demonstrations. PHOTOS: THANARAK KHOONTON