On Saturday (3 August), the Facebook page Survive – สายไหมต้องรอด, a non-profit organisation, posted a report from a woman whose brother, an army private, was beaten and abused by intoxicated senior officers at a military centre in Chiang Mai.
The woman reported that on Thursday (1 Aug), her brother and approximately 10 other soldiers were called upon by the intoxicated sergeants in the middle of the night.
They were forced to strip naked in the rain and were slapped as well as kicked repeatedly, leading to serious injuries.
Some were reportedly knocked out during the abuse.
The post explained that the incident on Thursday was only one of a series of abuse that her brother and other soldiers in the camp had gone through.
The woman’s brother was an entry-level soldier who had been positioned at Cavalry Centre Fort Adison in Saraburi but was later moved to Ban Nor Lae Thailand-Burma Border in Chiang Mai.
She said her brother and other soldiers had been subjected to repeated physical abuse whenever their senior officers came into the camp drunk.
“Every single one of them was nearly dead,” she said, adding that the privates would be kicked, punched, and stomped on.
She further explained that the abuse was done in a way that the soldiers don’t exhibit many external wounds but would suffer internal injuries.
“Their ribs were hurting so much,” she said.
Some were even beaten after they’d fallen to the ground.
“They were picked up and punched and kicked again.”
Living in Burriam Province, she requested help from the organisation as she had no one else to turn to, emphasising that her family was poor.
The story has since spread and the organisation has asked Mr Sutin Klungsang, Thai Minister of Defense, and General Charoenchai Hinthao, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, to look into the case.
Following the report on the Facebook page Survive – สายไหมต้องรอด, the Royal Thai Army said on Facebook that it had set up a committee to probe into the allegations.
Later, Survive – สายไหมต้องรอด updated the post, adding that the sergeants who had beaten and abused the soldiers were to be given punishment by the army.
The Royal Thai Army announced that members of the public can report complaints or provide feedback regarding such incidents to the Office of the Army Secretary.
Also read: 15-year-old boy beaten up by 12 teenagers in Pasir Ris carpark, sent to hospital
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Featured image adapted from Survive – สายไหมต้องรอด on Facebook and สรยุทธ สุทัศนะจินดา กรรมกรข่าว on Facebook.
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