Once every year, political science students across Thailand gather to attend a traditional event called “Singha Sampan” or “Leolympics”, holding activities ranging from sports competitions to night parties for two days.

While a suffix “-lympics” describes the event’s sporting nature, the word “Leo”, or lion, is a traditional symbol of the faculty as it symbolises ruling power, a core study of political science.

For this year’s 10th Leolympics, there were also other symbols of power – sports trophies granted under the name of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The Minister at the PM’s office, ML Panadda Diskul, who presided over the opening ceremony, gave a speech on the future of political scientists, and had his name inscribed on the trophies for Leolympics pageant winners.

The Leolympics Facebook page is bursting with comments asking why political science students, expected to show the light on politics, welcomed top officials from the junta government.

“Is it necessary to service them this much?” read one comment.

“Do they really study political science? Because they seem to admire power abusers,” read another comment.

“Please ask him how he is up to with those precious microphones,” read another comment, referring to Panadda, who was allegedly involved in the expensive procurement of microphones for Government House.

Despite the rage, the Leolympics organisers, headed by Kasetsart University’s political science department of the Faculty of Social Science, however seemed unamused by the fallout.

“They should understand that we are not thinking deep into politics,” Porntipa “Eve” Vongsakda, Leolympics student president, told The Nation.

“We just think that it will be a good incentive for the competitors to receive their trophies from someone in the position of premier. If Yingluck Shinawatra were still the prime minister, we would have invited her.”

Porntipa said she understood that association with Prayut and Panadda would suggest a political agenda. “But to look at it another way, we are opening the floor to the government side,” she said. “People talk about democracy, but there are also other regimes we should talk about and listen to.”

“I still want an election, though. But it might be best to focus on outcomes rather than the means,” she said. “Thai people are just caught up with the term democracy, and ours might not have not been so clean.”

“We are not taking any sides whatsoever,” she insisted. “We are only here to unite all political science students.”

Pakkavat “Bas” Ngvejaruen, Leolympics student vice president for administration affairs, told The Nation of his admiration for Panadda, which inspired him to invite the minister to the event through his personal connection. “He’s a good civil servant and a role model to me,” Pakkavet, whose dream is to become a civil servant in the Interior Ministry, said. “I especially like that he orders all civil servants to wear khaki-coloured uniform every Monday. This never happened with any former government.”

Aside from the Leolympics role, Pakkavet also led the student committee in drafting his university’s charter. Asked how he would feel if he ever has to live under a possible authoritarian charter, he shrugged, saying, “We just have to get used to how Thai politics is now. At least the country is much more in order now,” he said. “At least now we can express words. We aren’t under full state control like in China.”

Pakkavet said that he, however, did not favour coups and hoped the 2014 one would be the last. “Prayut also has said that he doesn’t like coups,” he said.

The Leolympics network was founded in 2004 by political science students from Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Chiang Mai University, Kasetsart University and Srinakharinwirot Univiersity. Burapha University later joined the league in 2009, followed by Ubon Ratchathani University who joined the group four years later. However, Chulalongkorn, Thammasat and Chiang Mai decided to be absent this time due to management issues.

“I hope the three would return when they see how we made things grand this year,” Porntipa said “This is the first Leolympics ever where we could invite top officials to join. Formerly, there were only deans to honour us.”