Violence Flares Between Thai Students by Phairath Khampha 27 December 2001 In what clearly demonstrated how uncivilised and rather backward Thais still can be, a gang of at least 200 students - armed with guns, knives, and a homemade hand-grenade - attacked a rival college in Bangkok, killing one student and injuring at least 50 others. A female student was seen forcibly taken away in a taxi by three attackers and her fate was unknown. These violent intercollegiate are actually quite common in Bangkok and other parts of the country. A Thai police spokesman Viboonsak Sithidecha said the trouble started with the hand-grenade being thrown into the compound of the Bangkok Commercial College, during a sports day. A spokesman for the college, Rangsan Kusolsang, said he believed the attack was a retaliatory strike, after six of his students stormed a nearby college in November 2001, destroying a number of vehicles. The assault took place at about 7.45pm on December 21 when Bangkok Commercial College students on Phetkasem road were still in the school attending a sporting event between classes. The attackers were from Rajmangala Institute of Technology Bangkok Campus, Rajsitharam Technical College and Krungthon Technology College. Bangkok Commercial students ran for their lives and locked themselves up in their classrooms. But the attackers were determined to fulfil their mad mission and broke open the windows for the onslaught. Scores of male students were injured. A few girl students were also hurt in the process. Jatuporn Pattaya, 20, of Rajmangala Institute of Technology Bangkok Campus, was killed by a gunshot wound in the chest as he got down from a bus and ran into the school to join the attackers. Many Bangkok Commercial students were injured when they tried to flee by jumping from the upper floors of the school building. According to Pol Maj-Gen Wiboonsak Sithidecha, commander of Metropolitan Police Division 7, Rangsan Kusolsang, director of Bangkok Commercial College, tried in vain to stop the attackers. The attacking students also removed documents from the school's administration office and set them on fire. Fortunately, the fire was put out by teachers within minutes. Fourteen cars and 35 to 50 motorcycles were smashed. The attackers also spray-painted the vehicles and the school buildings. About 100 policemen from Tha Phra station rushed to the school and managed to round up about 70 attackers. The number of students injured in the attack was believed to be more than 50, five of them seriously, mostly with knife wounds. They were admitted to Siriraj, Phra Pinklao, Phayathai 3, Srivichai and Taksin hospitals. Two girl students were also wounded by accident in the melee, although they were not targeted. Kung, a nearby resident who went into the school to watch the sporting event, told police she saw three attackers, all in their early 20s, slap a girl student in the face and forced her into a taxi before speeding off on the out-bound lane of the Phetkasem road. The fate of the girl was not known. Mr Rangsan, the Bangkok Commercial College director, reported to Education Minister Suvit Khunkitti that he believed the incident was related to another incident on November 23 when a group of Krungthon Technology College students stormed his school and smashed a number of vehicles. Mr Suvit told police to show no leniency to the attackers. It seems young Thai people can be quite barbaric, particularly as this sort of thinghappens all too often. College kids test positive for ‘yaa baa’ amphetamines Ninety-three out of over 210 students of Krungthep Technical College who were arrested for raiding their rival school tested positive for drugs, and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ordered police to take drastic legal action against those responsible for the violence. The vocational school and its rival Krungthep Commerce College were ordered closed until midterm exams early in January following the violence. Jatuphorn Phattaya, 20, of Krungthep Technical College was shot dead. Police have not arrested any student of Krungthep Commerce School and were still investigating who pulled the trigger. The girl student who was dragged into a taxi was eventually released and returned home safely. A Krungthep Technical College (KTC) student union leader yesterday claimed that student rivalry had simmered for two years before the attack on Krungthep Commerce College (KCC). However, a teacher at the commerce school ruled out rivalry as the motive, saying most KCC students were females. Pongsathorn Tulyarat, a KTC student leader, said students from the two schools had had a number of brawls over two years, although their fights had not been reported to police. He said the December 20 attack was meant as payback for all the previous problems that he alleged were instigated by rival KCC students. “Although the two schools are located in different parts of town, students harbour hard feelings towards each other as they often gather near the Memorial Bridge while waiting for buses,” he said. KCC director Chavalit Benjathikul said the vandalism had caused damage worth 3 million baht (1 US Dollar = 43.76500 Thai Baht). Chavalit expressed surprise at the alleged rivalry between the two schools, questioning why his students, more than 80 per cent of them female, should want to pick a fight with the malemajority KTC students. A KCC teacher, Jittiporn Napnuangnong, criticised KTC students for their cruel treatment of her students. “These male students acted like thugs, charged into the building, randomly assaulting female students and starting a fire, before leaving as if nothing had happened,” she said. Thaksin called Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lt General Anan Piromkaew on the evening of December 18 after seeing the reports of the attack on the evening news and told police to take drastic action against those responsible for the attacks. “I asked him to take tapes from TV stations to find out who led the attack. I asked police to take their fingerprints, test their urine and have paraffin tests on them,” Thaksin said. “I also asked Education Minister Suwit Khunkitt to check the names of the students. They have to be punished real hard to prevent copycats.” He said he had learnt from police that the leaders of the attack were high on methamphetamine tablets. Anan said police found that 93 students used methamphetamines, and police were waiting for the results of paraffin tests. Those tested positive to drugs face further charges of drug abuse apart from seven other charges, he said. Tha Phra police chief Colonel Chamnarn Kruabua said the seven charges were invading a government office in odd hours (non-regular opening hours); rioting causing death and injuries; illegal assembly; violating official orders; and three other charges involving having unlicensed explosives, knives and firearms and ammunition in their possession. The 214 Krungthep Technical students were detained at a special detention centre of the Metropolitan Police in Bang Khen. Police informed parents who visited the students to prepare assets worth 360,000 baht for posting as bail for their release at the Thon Buri Criminal Court today. Colonel Kosin Hinthao, commander of Metropolitan Police Subdivision 7, said the two rival schools had had several previous street brawls. He said after the school sign and emblem were vandalised, leaders of groups of Krungthep Technical students met and decided to launch the attack on Thursday evening. He said they travelled by busses to the rival school. The two schools are each on the number 89 bus route. Pongsathorn Dulyarat, president of Krungthep Technical students, said the conflicts between students of the two schools dated back over two years ago and small groups of students from the two schools often had street brawls. He said both sides often confronted each other at bus stops on the route. Chavalit Benjathikul, director of Krunthep Commerce College, said a cheerleader who was abducted was released later Thursday night. He said the abductors, who had commandeered a taxi, heard radio reports that police were hunting for them and were scared. “So they kicked her off in the Bang Khae area. And she returned home safe and sound and called teachers to inform them about her release,” Chavalit said. He said his school would be closed until January 3, when students are required to sit for the midterm exams. He said he had instructed students not try to take any revenge for the attack. Krungthep Technical College remained open yesterday but college director Prathuan Klinchampa said it would be closed from today until January 2.