The education minister has accused a Future Forward Party (FFP) MP in Chachoengsao of exploiting school visits to turn students against military conscription, a key policy of the opposition party.
“The Education Ministry already supports students to learn about democracy in various extracurricular activities including the student council,” Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan wrote on his Facebook page. “So, it’s not right for a particular politician or party to take advantage of them and lure them into believing any specific political propaganda.”
They are instigating hatred [against the military] among the young, which is an evil thing to do. Every MP should instead contribute to promoting education, not exploiting the young as a political tool,” said the minister, apparently referring to the FFP and its MP for Chachoengsao, Chirat Thongsuwan.
Mr Chirat, whose speech about the FFP’s campaign to end military conscription at a school in Chachongsao sparked controversy, meanwhile accused the government of looking down on the young and pressuring school administrators to act against what he described as his effort to educate students about their rights.
“I condemn any attempt to make this [the anti-military conscription campaign at schools] the wrong thing to do,” he said.
He also questioned why the military was allowed to disseminate its own one-sided information through its territorial defence training programme.
“The military must make the conscription matter open to debate,” he said. “The young have every right to information about this as it is they who are affected, not the military, the government or any cabinet minister.”
As for his recent visit to Phai Kaew Witthaya in Plaeng Yao district on Dec 2, which sparked strong criticism on social media, he insisted he had been given permission by school administrators to speak to the students.
He said he made his remarks in the presence of the school’s director and teachers who assured him that what he had said to their students was unlikely to cause any harm.
He said he asked the students to raise their hands if they didn’t want to become soldiers and everyone at the gathering had raised their hand, which led him to conclude that no one wants military conscription.
He said this overwhelming response had only encouraged him to scale up his campaign and visit more schools.
Prime Minister Prayut chan-o-cha, his right-hand man Gen Prawit Wongsuwon and others have been vehement critics of Future Forward and its anti-conscription stand. Gen Prayut saidrecently that FFP leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was running "the wrong campaign".