Statement for supporting Chula students
We, activists, academics and human rights defenders have been following the case of eight Chulalongkorn University students walking out to praise respect in alternative form to the royal statues of King Rama V and King Rama VI. We highly sustain their action which is congruous with human rights principles. The university should bounteously discern the different opinions and alternative form of expression.
All of eight students were punished by diminishing their behavior scores. Five of them, members of Chulalongkorn University Student Council, were expelled from the office. Furthermore, the penalty disqualified eight students and precludes them from being a candidate running for office or taking part in any major roles managing further activities of the university.
We would like to denounce the order declared from the university which directly punished these eight students. This order is constraining freedom of expression which is indispensable for the university and for our society. We also would like to appeal the amnesty for them in order to free them from all of the accusations.
Some comments from our supporters
“I applaud the heroic efforts of Netiwit and his fellow students to champion freedom of thought and expression in Thai universities and throughout Thai society. I deplore the repression with which his courageous actions have been met. I call upon the authorities to rescind their sanctions and restore him to his rightful place in student leadership,” William Deresiewicz. The author of Excellent Sheep
“The life of any university depends upon the free and peaceful exchange of ideas. Those who seek to punish Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal and his colleagues directly violate that principle : while purporting to preserve the university’s reputation, they help to destroy it,” Ruth Bernard Yeazell, the Chace Family Professor of English and director of the Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University
“Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal has done nothing but exercise his right to freedom of expression. There is absolutely no reason to try him. Any person working in a university should sign the petition,” Jean-Philippe Béja, Emeritus Senior Research Fellow at the National Center for Scientific Research and the Center for International Studies and Research at Sciences-Po, in Paris
“No university is fully a university unless it grants its students the right to differ and dissent,” Ashis Nandy, Social Theorist, Top 100 Public Intellectuals Poll of the Foreign Policy magazine
“It’s the heroism of students like these that, throughout history, has pulled Humanity back from the abyss. May God bless them,” Norman Finkelstein, Writer, Lecturer, Public Intellectual
“The world needs, has needed, and will always need free thinkers with passion to present alternate views and customs : indeed, one could argue this is the heart of education itself,” Dorion Sagan, Award-winning writer
« Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal and his fellow students are exercising universal human rights and deserve the respect and support of the entire world. »
Prof. Perry Link, East Asian Studies, Princeton University
Nitiwit leads other student activists in the walkout from the university initiation ceremony (Photo from Netiwit’s Facebook account)
List of Supporters for the Campaign
Nobel Laureate supporter ;
Roald Hoffmann, Emeritus Professor at Cornell University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1981)
Supporters ;
1.Johan Galtung, Founder Transcend International
2.Noam Chomsky, University of Arizona
3.Perry Link, East Asian Studies, Princeton University
4.Henry Hardy, Wolfson College, University of Oxford
5.Lawrence M. Krauss, Foundation Professor of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, and director of its Origins Project
6. Judith Butler, Maxine Elliot Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Program of Critical Theory, University of California, Berkeley
7. Gloria Steinem, The recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (2013)
8.Michael Walzer, Professor Emeritus in the School of Social Science, the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS),Princeton
9.Jean-Philippe Béja, Research Director of French Centre for Research on Contemporary China
10.James C. Scott, Professor of Political Science and Anthropology at Yale University
11.Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University
12.Paul Bloom, Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of psychology and cognitive science at Yale University
13.Michael Shermer, Chapman University, editor of Skeptic magazine
14.Ashis Nandy, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
15.Timothy Snyder, the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University
16.Caroline Patricia Lucas, Green Party Member of Parliament, Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
17.Ilan Pappé, Professor of History, University of Exeter, Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies
18.Dorion Sagan, award-winning writer
19. Joshua Cohen, Professor, Apple University ; UC Berkeley ; Boston Review
20.. Tariq Ali, Writer
21. Ellen E Barfield, US War Resisters League National Committee
22. Joanne Sheehan, Former Chair, War Resisters International
23. Somboon Chungprampree, secretary of International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)
24. Symon Hill, Peace Pledge Union (UK)
25. Derek Wall, Department of Politics and IR, Goldsmith College, University of London
26. Wolfram Schaffar, Professor for Development Studies and Political Science, University of Vienna
27.William Deresiewicz, Author of Excellent Sheep
28. Mark Lilla, Professor of humanities, Columbia University
29. Catherine Malabou, Professor of Comparative Literature, School of Humanities, University of California, Irvine
30. Ruth Bernard Yeazell, the Chace Family Professor of English and director of the Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University
31.Hayden Pelliccia, Professor of Classics, Cornell University
32. John Roemer, the Elizabeth S. and A. Varick Stout Professor of Political Science and Economics, Yale University
33. Medea Benjami, founder of CODEPINK
34.Norman Finkelstein , Writer, Lecturer, Public Intellectual
35. Ho Rui An, Artist and Writer, Singapore
36. Pavlina Tcherneva, Bard College and Levy Economics Institute
37. Richard Somerville, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography , the University of California, San Diego
38. Tamara Loos, Professor of History, Cornell University
39.Rebeca Tuvel, Rhodes college
40.George Dutton, Director of UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies
41.Roger Casas, Institute for Social Anthropology at the Austrian Academy of Sciences
42. David Loy, Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center
43. Rachel Harrison, SOAS University of London
44.Tyrell Haberkorn, Australian National University
45.Pablo Ramirez, The Latin American and Caribbean Universities Union
46. James Mitchell, Monash University
47.Peter Rosset, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Mexico
48.Penchan Phoborisut, Assistant Professor of Communications, California State University, Fullerton
49.Peter Bell, Emeritus Professor of State University of New York, Purchase, NY
50.Emilie Parry, University of Oxford
51.Wolfram Schaffar, Professor for Development Studies and Political Science, University of Vienna
52. Hyunpil Na, Korean House for Solidarity
53. Ha Nam Suk, University of Seoul
54. Yunkyung Lee, book21 publishing house
55. Yongsuk Lee, World Without War(South Korea)
56. Gayoon Baek
57.Minsoo Kim
58.Soyeon Kang
59.Dongju Go
60.Jeongha Yun
61.Juyeon Lee
62.Doowon Kim
63.Sini Sovijärvi
64.Doowon Kim
65.Suehee Lee
66.Jinho Lee
67.Hyeonjong Min, Seoul National University
68.Jaesol Shin, Korea National University of Arts
69.Phyo Latt, National University of Singapore
70.Steve Foulger
71.Camelia Rozor, Activist for peace and human rights
72.Päivi Ahonen, University of Oulu
73.Eunji Kang, George Washington Law School
74.Meri Larjavaara, University of Åbo Akademi
75.Sangkuk Kim, Labor Party (Republic of Korea)
76.Thomas Patton, Assistant Professor, City University of Hong Kong
77.Nancy Eberhardt, Knox College
78.Giuseppe Bolotta, National University of Singapore
79.Myat Ko, Yangon School of Political Science
80.Mg Ogga, Kalyana Mitta Foundation
81.Kirt Mausert, Institute for Civic and Political Engagement
82.Bisharat Abbasi, University of Sindh Pakistan
83.Myokhant Kyaw, University of medicine, magway, myanmar
84.Myat Thu, Yangon School of Political Science
85.Rahul Kyaw Maung, Social Democratic United Front
86.Fania Oz-Salzberger, University of Haifa
87.Karin Zackari, Lund University
88.Min Banyar, University of Distance Education
89.Angela Chiu, Independent Researcher
90.Brett Farmer, Deakin University
91.Sukrid Peansuwan, National Chengchi University
92.Dongwook Shinyoon, Chingusai Korea
93.Pattharaphan, Chote-Akkaraworanansakul, University of California, Los Angeles
94.Aung Myat Han, University of Medicine, Magway
95.Nicola Tannenbaum, Lehigh University
96.Michael Thomas, Bielefeld University
97.Mary Beth Mills, Colby College
98.Rainer Einzenberger, University of Vienna
99.Ann Ussishkin
100.Nyan Aung, Magway Medical Student Union
101.Natnatee Dokmai, Indiana University
102.Andrew Johnson, Princeton University
103.Chinnapat Saenju, Medical University of Lublin
104.Erin Lynch, Princeton University
105.Hannah Brock, War Resisters’ International
106.Latthapol Khachonkitkosol, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
107.Pitchaya Wiratchotistian, WPI
108.Visakha Kawasaki, Michigan State University
109.Vina Lek-Khim, United States
110.Mi Kang, Workers Action Centre
111.Poramatha Na Ranong, Royal University of Law and Economics , Cambodia
112.Min Bone, Ma Har Bago University
113.Peter Jackson, Australian National University
114.Sirisak Chanprasert, University of Washington
115.Edoardo Siani, SOAS, University of London
116.Ian Hollingworth, Nonviolent Conflict Workshop
117.Kanchit Patanapoka, NVCW
118.Kittikhun Bhukhongkha, School for Wellbeing Studies and Research
119.Leslie Woodhouse, University of San Francisco
120.Eli Elinoff, Victoria University of Wellington
121.Brandon Inabinet, Furman University
122.Tinnaphop Sinsomboonthong, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
123.Akanit Horatanakun, McGill University
124.Altha Cravey, UNC Chapel Hill
125.Taylor Easum, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
126.Hana Ryu, Citizen of South Korea
127.Young Jang, Hope21, Canada
128.Khin Sandar, Yangon School of Political Science
129.Thomas P. Weber, Independent scholar
130.Holger Meyer Wichita, State University, Kansas, USA
131.Caroline Herbelin, Université de Toulouse
132.Joseph Golowka
133.Sunai Phasuk, Human Rights Watch
134.Pattira Thaithosaeng, PhD student at University of Pennsylvania
135.Amara Thiha, Stimson Center
136.Erick White, University of Michigan
137.Hkawn Ja Aung, Humanity Institute
138.Bob Meola, Peace, Love, and Justice Activist, Movement for an Anarchist Society
139.Parinot Kunakornwong, University of London
140.Maria Sharapan, University of Jyväskylä
141.Tim Bader, Philipps-Universität Marburg
142.John M Miller, US War Resisters League, Treasurer
143.Luis Filipe Castro, Texas A&M University, Anthropology Department
144.Gernot Lennert, German Peace Society - United War Resisters, Hesse
145.Emma Burke, War Resisters League
146.Tara Tabassi, War Resisters League USA
147.Maria Suominen, Writer
148. Hans van Willenswaard, INI initiative for creative space
149. Pradip K Gogoi, Dibrugarh University
150. Maggie Chau, Centre of Buddhist Studies, University of Hong Kong