To: General Prayuth Chan-ocha, leader of the coup in Thailand

From: UK academics and university staff and students

 

We note the military coup d’état in Thailand (22 May 2014) – the 13th since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932. We stand with those protesters who are calling for a return to constitutional rule by a civilian government.

 

As academics and university staff and students, we also wish to express particular concern at the surveillance, harassment, and round-up of academics and students calling for democracy and the reinstatement of civilian rule. Academics and students who have been critics of the lèse-majesté law have been summonsed and we understand that some have gone into hiding as a result. We join with all others who have also called upon the Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army to immediately release politicians, activists, journalists, academics and others who have been harassed and imprisoned following the military summons to stop making any political criticism or comment. We condemn the move ordering universities to monitor the political activities of staff and students on campuses, and are also concerned that some universities have issued orders to their staff and students to refrain from making any political comment in the public sphere.

 

We support and admire the courage of university staff and students who continue to gather at Thammasat University and other protest sites. Intellectual freedom and freedom of speech are fundamental tenets of a democratic society and functioning university system alike and we urge their restoration.

 

Professor Gurminder K Bhambra, University of Warwick

Professor John Holmwood, University of Nottingham

Professor Les Back, Goldsmiths, University of London

Dr Ipek Demir, University of Leicester

Dr Kirsten Forkert, Birmingham City University

Dr Robbie Shilliam, Queen Mary University of London

Dr Lee Jones, Queen Mary University of London

Mark Carrigan, University of Warwick

Dr John Narayan, University of Warwick

Dr Madhumita Lahiri, University of Warwick

Dr Peo Hansen, Linköping University

Dr Daniel Orrells, University of Warwick

Professor Luke Martell, University of Sussex

Professor Andrew Sayer, Lancaster University

Dr Malcolm MacLean, University of Gloucestershire

Emeritus Professor Gavin Edwards, University of South Wales

Professor Raphael Salkie, University of Brighton

Dr Nessa Cronin, National University of Ireland, Galway

Professor Jonathan S. Davies, De Montfort University

Dr Jo Ingold, University of Leeds

Professor William Outhwaite, University of Newcastle

Lauren Tooker, University of Warwick

Professor Larry Ray, University of Kent

Dr Justin Cruickshank, University of Birmingham

Professor Robert Fine, University of Warwick

Dr Rosa Vasilaki, University of Bristol

Dr Carole Jones, University of Edinburgh

Bernard Sufrin (Emeritus Fellow, Worcester College) University of Oxford

Professor Nickie Charles, University of Warwick

Dr Luke Yates, University of Manchester

Claire Blencowe, University of Warwick

Professor Patrick Ainley, University of Greenwich

Dr Kevin McSorley, University of Portsmouth

Gabriel Newfield (retired Pro-Director), University of Hertfordshire

Professor Mick Carpenter, University of Warwick

Dr Andrea Hajek, University of Glasgow

Lisa Tilley, University of Warwick

Dr Nicola Pratt, University of Warwick

Dr J. Sanchez Taylor, University of Leicester

Dr David Featherstone, University of Glasgow

Dr Angela Last, University of Glasgow

Dr Bryn Jones, University of Bath

Simon Dawes (independent scholar)

Prof Chris Jones, Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Vivienne Jackson

Chrysi Papaioannou, University of Leeds

Lee Mackinnon, Goldsmiths, University of London

Dr Goldie Osuri, University of Warwick

Dr Geoff Williams, University College London

Dr Hannah Jones, University of Warwick