Classes were canceled today at a prestigious private boys’ school in response to a large protest over the removal of two popular administrators.
Hundreds of parents, alumni and students wearing black and singing the Bangkok Christian College anthem gathered in front of the elite Sathorn Road school to demand the reinstatement of the former school director and manager who were transferred away in the wake of an internally disputed land deal.
Protestors blame the Church of Christ in Thailand, which owns and operates the school, for what they said was an improper investigation into a multi-million baht land deal for forcing them out.
“Why did you violate my rights?” read a sign held by a student protestor. “When adults bully kids,” another read.
Disputed Deal
The Save BCC campaign said it is all rooted in the church’s decision last year to buy a Christian school in the northeastern province of Bueng Kan. The school’s former chief executive, Charn Chotinantaset, negotiated a THB70 million (US$2 million) deal later approved by the church’s board.
After Charn took a leadership role with the church, the school’s new chief executive accused school director Suphakit Jitklongsub and manager Watcharapong Apinyanurungsr of mishandling the deal without making any specific accusations.
They denied any wrongdoing and asked that the matter be investigated internally. That’s when organizers of the protest say the church put the new executive behind the accusations and his allies in charge of it. It resulted in Suphakit and Watcharapong’s ouster.
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After word reached parents, alumni and students the Save BCC campaign was launched last week. Their call for a new committee to review the investigation was dismissed, leading to today’s protest.
Since then, anger in the school’s community has led airing of its laundry in the public sphere, with allegations of malfeasance small and large made.
Sarinya Jiangchai, a representative from the church reached via phone today, told Coconuts Bangkok that the CCT is currently looking into the allegations and would not comment further.
The 167-year-old school was established by American Presbyterian missionaries and moved to its present location in 1902, according to its website. Graduates of the elite school maintain a close-knit community.
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— Pound (@poundcharlotte) August 27, 2019
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— noom – gas (@noom_gas) August 27, 2019
เกาะติดสถานการณ์ #SaveBCC pic.twitter.com/ZFkKix0zRn
— ปอเปี๊ยะ กาลเวลา นักข่าวเวิร์คพอยท์ (@kanwaela) August 27, 2019
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— อาจารย์บอม (@Ajbomb) August 27, 2019
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