Bangkok: The president of Siam University has issued a statement denying the university's involvement in a training course for Chinese volunteer police officers reportedly held on campus. He announced plans to take legal action against those responsible for the unauthorized activity.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Pornchai Mongkolvanich, President of Siam University, along with other university executives, held a press conference to address concerns about the training course, which used university premises and involved university personnel and students. Mr. Mongkolvanich clarified that while the university typically organizes training sessions in similar formats, including for traffic volunteers and police, this particular course did not follow the established procedures. Consequently, a committee was formed to investigate the matter since January 3.
The investigation revealed that the training was organized by outsiders, including some individuals associated with the Metropolitan Police Division 3, and was led by Mr. Li Zhang, who serves as the Assistant to the President for International Activities at Siam University. The project, conducted from December 25-27, did not receive the necessary approval from the university. On December 25, the university premises were used without permission, and the training continued off-campus for the remaining days.
Mr. Mongkolvanich pointed out that the letter requesting cooperation from the Metropolitan Police Bureau 3 was signed by Mr. Li Zhang without the university's authorization, bypassing the usual protocol which requires the university president's signature or that of an assigned representative. Financial investigations confirmed that no funds or resources from the university were involved in the training, as all arrangements were made by external parties.
The documents related to the training raised further suspicions due to the absence of key identifiers such as the university's location number and an official seal from the secretariat. Additionally, inconsistencies in terminology and the timing of the training during the university's break period added to the irregularities. Mr. Mongkolvanich reiterated that the university was an affected party and had no connection to the project, which was independently executed by outsiders.
Disciplinary actions have been proposed against individuals linked to the incident, including Mr. Li Zhang and another staff member. The findings have been submitted to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, with expected outcomes within 1-2 weeks. Criminal charges for impersonation and misuse of the university's symbol are also being pursued.
When questioned about potential misuse of the training credentials by participants, Mr. Mongkolvanich expressed concern but emphasized that the training organizers should have records of the attendees. The university plans to call these individuals for further inquiry to ascertain the facts surrounding the situation.