It was supposed to be a secret joke during the librarian’s boring routine of stamping new books and newspapers.
A librarian at Thammasat University was forced to admit that she frequently and intentionally used the university’s logo to stamp on the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s photos on the newspapers at Puey Ungpakorn Library, the main library of Rangsit campus.
As Thammasat University is known for its democratic and liberal values, students of Thammasat have found the librarian’s PM-stamping habit extremely inappropriate since the official university logo she used arguably reflects the view of Thammasat. The topic was raised in a discussion on the personal Facebook of student vice-president Nattapong Petcharat, who observed every newspaper in the library and snapped evidence of the librarian’s bias on Wednesday.
The controversy caused the director of Thammasat University Libraries, Srichan Chanchiwa to investigate and reveal to the public that one of their staff had been intentionally stamping the library logo on Yingluck’s face for quite a while until Nattapong noticed.
Srichan claimed the librarian (whose name was not mentioned) stamped Yingluck’s face out of innocence and was not aware of the controversy she would cause. The librarian has submitted an apology letter and vowed she would not do it again.
However, this is not the first time that personal opinions have affected Thammasat. Rector Somkid Lertpaitoon has also expressed a certain political view which has been objected by a group of student activists, as they feel his actions might reflect the whole institution and diminish its ideals.
Does this mean the university stamps on a politician’s face might have a hidden message?
Srichan says Thammasat University Libraries does not take the rector’s side, and the stamps do not reflect the institute or the rector’s views whatsoever.
She added the usual procedure of stamping is to avoid covering words, and this librarian might feel stamping on a photo would cause the least damage to the newspapers’ contents, Matichon reported.
