Some Thais still relate to the monarchy institution as if they lived under an absolute monarchy, leading them to become enraged when faced with people they think want to criticise the institution, said Thammasat University political scientist Kasian Techapeera.
This outlook also causes them to regard anyone who wants to repeal or abolish the lese majeste law.
"They think [like this] because they have not left the absolute-monarchy system," Kasian said at a symposium held by Pridi Banomyong International College at Thammasat University yesterday.
The remark came as the Nitirat group of seven Thammasat University law lecturers, which has proposed that the lese majeste law be amended, has been denounced by some ultra-royalists as wanting to form a republic. Thammasat's administrators have barred Nitirat and its supporters from using the university's facilities to collect signatures in support of amending the law, leading to increasing confrontation between supporters and opponents of the law.
Kasian urged those critical of the monarchy and the lese majeste law to refrain from using hate speech or strong words and bear in mind that they're dealing with people who believe they love the institution "most".
He urged people to handle the debate with care. "What is scary is possible unorganised and spontaneous violence" as the hatred towards Nitirat is spreading, he said. Kasian added that to the best of his knowledge, nobody at Thammasat wanted to overthrow the monarchy to establish a republic. Rather, people who support the amendment want to ensure that the monarchy institution is not used as a weapon in political disputes.
Panus Tassaneeyanond, a former dean of Thammasat University's faculty of law and a former senator, said the media played a role in fanning hatred through the supply of one-sided information. He also acknowledged that many ultra-royalists did not care about details of the proposed amendment, and simply regarded supporters of the move as anti-royalists. The mentality of these ultra-royalists is that of people living under an absolute monarchy, he explained.
Thamrongsak Petchlertanand, a political-science lecturer at Rangsit University and an alumnus of Thammasat, criticised Thammasat's administrators for barring Nitirat and its supporters from collecting signatures on campus, accusing them of caving in to political pressure and serving the powers that be.
He urged administrators, lecturers and students to preserve the spirit of engagement in political activism for which Thammasat has become famous over the seven decades since Pridi Banomyong founded it.
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