Thai Metropolitan Police Bureau tackle student conflicts with preventive measures

Police General Kittirat Phanphet, the Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, and the Thai Metropolitan Police Bureau unveiled a meeting convened to address ongoing student conflicts between competing colleges.

The meeting, on Wednesday, November 15, which saw the participation of Min Buri police and other relevant officials, aimed to formulate actionable guidelines to transform erroneous values into correct ones.

Each metropolitan police unit in the assigned areas has rolled out preventive measures to pre-empt future altercations. These measures include deploying patrol units in locations deemed high-risk for potential incidents. The meeting also focused on fostering cooperation between college institutions to prevent the recurrence of such student conflicts.

An essential part of the plan was to involve the faculty staff at colleges to cultivate a culture of teamwork. The emphasis was on reshaping the narrative that painted other colleges as the enemy. The focus was shifted to the shared identities of the students as learners and human beings.

The Thai Metropolitan Police Bureau pledged to maintain constant vigilance and handle student conflicts between institutes effectively. They are set to apply all relevant information in practice to execute response plans. Pol. Gen. Kittirat issued a stern warning.

“If the police officers do not perform their duty, they will face consequences accordingly.”

The police force is expected to uphold their duties and responsibilities in maintaining order and peace.

Nature of the conflicts

Pol. Gen. Kittirat further clarified the nature of the student conflicts. He highlighted that they were not merely quarrels between rival students from different college institutes. Instead, he painted a grim picture of the situation where a crime was committed, leading to the loss of an innocent life.

A beloved teacher, who was at an ATM nearby, had become an unintended casualty of the conflict. Another student had also suffered serious injuries, reported Pattaya News.

The announcement served as a wake-up call to the severity of the situation, urging all parties to take proactive measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The proactive measures, combined with a change in perspective, are hoped to contribute to the resolution of these conflicts.