Minister gives Abac 7 days (Updated)

08 มกราคม 2559

Education Minister Dapong Ratanasuwan has given Assumption Universityโ€s (Abac) council seven days to resolve its internal dispute over who should be the universityโ€s rector.

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Saturday morning update

Dapong deals Abac 7-day cutoff

Dumrongkiat Mala

Education Minister Dapong Ratanasuwan has given Assumption University’s (Abac) council seven days to resolve its internal dispute over who should be the university’s rector.

The row has been dragging on for several months.

From left, Education Minister Dapong Ratanasuwan, Bancha Saenghiran, Sudhiporn Patumtaewapibal

The conflict has split members of the university’s council into two sides, one backing Bancha Saenghiran, a Catholic religious brother, and the other backing Sudhiporn Patumtaewapibal, a layman. Each claims to be the rightful rector.

The two sides were unable to reach an agreement during the meeting as one side is sticking strongly to organisational culture, while the other side claims the right to the rectorship by law, Gen Dapong told the media yesterday after chairing a two-hour meeting with Mr Sudhiporn, Brother Bancha and their supporters.

“Both sides still cannot agree on how to stop the ongoing dispute, so I gave them another week to explore possible solutions. If they still cannot find a resolution again at the next meeting, the ministry needs to intervene in the university’s management as the dispute at the Assumption campuses has affected the image of Thai higher education,” he said.

Earlier, Gen Dapong threatened to invoke Section 86 of the Private University Act to set up a special panel to temporarily take command of the administration of Abac if its council could not find a way to end the conflict by itself.

Under Section 86 of the Private University Act, the Education Ministry can set up a committee comprising five to 15 people to oversee any university to prevent chaos erupting on campus.

Abac council member Weerasak Anusonthiwong, one of Brother Bancha’s supporters, said his side urged all members of the university’s council at yesterday’s meeting, no matter which side they support, to resign from their posts to show responsibility and professional spirit as all university council members had been part of the problem.

“If every member of the university’s council resigns, the power to select the university council members and rector will be returned to the institution of the Montfort brothers of Saint Gabriel. This solution can end the dispute at the university, but it also depends on whether the other side want to end this war,” Mr Weerasak said.

Friday's story

Dapong weighs in on Abac rector dispute

Panel could take control if talks fail

Dumrongkiat Mala

Education Minister Dapong Ratanasuwan is threatening to set up a special panel to temporarily take command of the administration of Assumption University (Abac) which has been entangled in a crippling dispute over who should be rector.

The dispute has divided the campus into two sides, one backing Bancha Saenghiran, a Catholic religious brother, and the other backing Sudhiporn Patumtaewapibal, a layman. Each claims the right to be the university's rector.

Gen Dapong told the media Thursday that if the two sides could not reach a solution at a meeting with him on Friday (today), he will cite Section 86 of the Private University Act to set up a committee to run the campus temporarily.

"If both sides cannot find a way to solve the problem together, the ministry needs to intervene in the university's management until the situation returns to normal. Students have to return to class on Monday after the holiday break," Gen Dapong said.

His meeting with Brother Bancha, Mr Sudhiporn and their supporters today would be his last bid to forge reconciliation between both sides and stop the conflict which has dragged on for months, affecting the image of Thai higher education.

Under Section 86 of the Private University Act, the Education Ministry can set up a committee comprising five to 15 people to oversee any university to prevent chaos erupting on campus, Gen Dapong said.

He said the law was used in 2011, when the education minister of the time had a committee oversee E-sarn University after the alleged sale of teaching diplomas.

"I have some names for the ministry-assigned committee in mind and if the meeting fails, the committee would be in charge for around three months to explore possible ways to end the conflict.

''However, I still hope that both sides will be able to find solutions at the meeting I have called [Friday] as using Section 86 is the last thing I want to do," Gen Dapong said.

The power games at Abac have been simmering for several months as Mr Sudhiporn, who was the university's deputy vice-rector, claimed he had the right to become acting rector after Brother Bancha, the incumbent, was temporarily suspended by the university council on June 18 last year.

It followed the discovery of alleged irregularities in various university affairs, including a plan to procure and develop a flight simulator facility costing 350 million baht.

Since then, confusion has erupted and staff have polarised over the dispute, with no apparent end in sight.

Brother Bancha's supporters insisted the June 18 resolution was void as there was no signature by the council chairman, while Mr Sudhiporn's allies argued the order was legitimate. The conflict escalated when Mr Sudhiporn, accompanied by 20 men, tried to break open the gate to the Hua Mak campus.

They were stopped when security guards hired by Brother Bancha's supporters intervened.

At one point, Mr Sudhiporn and his supporters cut open the door chain and tried to lift the door away, but the security team warded them off with fire extinguishers.

Mr Sudhiporn filed a complaint at Hua Mark police station accusing those inside the university of obstructing his duties and assaulting his group.