The Student Council of Chulalongkorn University on Friday released a statement to formally apologize to a famous alumnus, who was killed by the state, for the university’s lack of recognition towards him.
The student group held activities to remember and mark the 90th birthday of Chit Phumisak, a Marxist historian and activist on September 25.
The famous activist, also known as “Che of Thailand”, was born in 1930 before attending the university’s faculty of arts where he drew inspirations from Marxism and Internationalism.
During the 1950s, he wrote articles, poems, songs, and books against the ruling class including, “The Real Face of Thai Feudalism” and “Etymology of the terms Siam, Thai, Lao, and Khom, and the Social Characteristics of Nationalities”.
His comments on the society upset the military dictatorship of the time and he was eventually jailed in 1958 where he was accused of being a communist and sent to imprisonment at Lard Yao Prison.
He was then released in 1964 and eventually joined the Communist Party of Thailand where he was given the name of “Comrade Preecha.”
Chit’s job was to write revolutionary songs for the CPT which led to songs such as “The People’s Liberation Army March” and “The Phu Phan Revolution”.
He was killed during a gunfight in Ban Nong Kung on May 5, 1966 at the age of 33-year-old.
Chit’s works as a revolutionist have not been forgotten and have inspired many including today’s student protesters who are fighting the same fight against a military dictatorship.
The statement, released by the Student Council of Chulalongkorn University, said Chit has never been given the proper credit that he deserves for all of his work.
The statement said Chit’s work has also created a positive reputation for the university.
The student council also argued that the school should not have suspended Chit when he was actually the victim of an attack by a mob of students back in 1953. He was suspended for his activism but he did graduate from the university by 1957.
The Student Council of Chulalongkorn University also said that Chit was “unfairly accused” of being a communist.
They said they would like to apologize on the behalf of the students from the school for all the injustice that occurred to him while he was alive and in death over the past seven decades.