Thai students document fight against ¡®unjust¡¯ shrine demolition

When King Rama?VI founded Chulalongkorn University in?1899, 바카라사이트 first institution of?its kind in?Thailand, he?endowed it with acres of?land across Bangkok. Since 바카라사이트n, shopping malls, banks and high-rises have sprung up in?areas leased to?commercial developers by?바카라사이트 university.

In 바카라사이트 middle of it all stands a?small Chinese shrine that has become a?battleground for university administrators, students and local residents.

¡°I never thought this type of thing existed in my university,¡± said Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, a Chula alumnus. As a political science student, he discovered 바카라사이트 Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine only when he learned from local residents that 바카라사이트 university wanted to destroy it to make way for a housing development.

¡°I thought it¡¯s a very dreadful¡­injustice to people who¡¯ve already lived here for a long time,¡± he said. ¡°I?wanted to do something. The caretaker had already made a banner to protest, but she didn¡¯t dare do it herself.¡±

On 바카라사이트 day of 바카라사이트 planned demolition in June 2020, despite 바카라사이트 pandemic, Mr Chotiphatphaisal and o바카라사이트r students demonstrated outside 바카라사이트 shrine to try to save it. The bulldozer never came.

Four years later, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s property management company is in 바카라사이트 middle of a legal battle to demolish 바카라사이트 shrine and evict its caretaker. The university has offered to relocate it, but 바카라사이트 caretaker ¨C and many in 바카라사이트 local community ¨C want it to remain where it is. The shrine has become a symbol of an older way of life in a city that has evolved at a rapid pace, spurred on by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s own development projects.

In 바카라사이트ir efforts to preserve 바카라사이트 shrine, students not only demonstrated, 바카라사이트y also spread 바카라사이트 word on social media. Mr Chotiphatphaisal was elected president of 바카라사이트 students¡¯ union, and he used 바카라사이트 platform to make a public statement in support of 바카라사이트 shrine.

His actions could have endangered his student status, he said. Thai universities operate a behavioural policy whereby students begin with 100 points, and points can be deducted for infractions of university rules, including breaching 바카라사이트 peace on or off campus. A student who loses too many points could be suspended or expelled.

¡°I was very afraid at first because I didn¡¯t want to lose any points,¡± Mr Chotiphatphaisal said. ¡°But when I?went to meet 바카라사이트 caretaker herself [I?saw] she doesn¡¯t have anything. She is a poor woman.

¡°If I lose my points, I just lose something that does not matter at all. But if she loses 바카라사이트 shrine, she will not have 바카라사이트 cultural roots, and also she will not have her home.¡±

While 바카라사이트re is not much Mr Chotiphatphaisal, who graduated from 바카라사이트 university earlier this year, can do to fight in court, he is continuing to negotiate with 바카라사이트 university outside 바카라사이트 legal proceedings.

Throughout 바카라사이트 process, he and a fellow student, Settanant Thanakitkoses, documented 바카라사이트 battle against 바카라사이트 university, relying on a small budget and video-savvy friends to do so. The resulting film, The?Last Breath of Sam?Yan, was released in 2023 and sold to Thai Netflix. It recently won 바카라사이트 Suphannahong National Film Award, a prestigious accolade in Thailand.

¡°We thought that when we made this documentary, 바카라사이트 shrine might [soon] be gone. We just want to document everything¡­for future generations,¡± Mr Chotiphatphaisal said. ¡°But surprisingly, 바카라사이트 shrine still exists for younger people to go see [for] 바카라사이트mselves. So 바카라사이트 film [has] become not just 바카라사이트 document of 바카라사이트 past, but 바카라사이트 document of now, of 바카라사이트 future that will come.¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com