Anti-Sotus page alleges sexual abuse of Silpakorn U freshmen

By THE NATION

 

 

BANGKOK: -- SEXUAL HARASSMENT and verbal abuse during the freshmen welcoming ceremony of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts at Silpakorn University have been reported by incoming students.

The Anti-Sotus Facebook page reported that freshmen students experienced serious abuse, including graphic sexual harassment, at the welcoming ceremony for the faculty at Silpakorn University on Saturday. 

 

Several accounts posted by freshmen who attended the ceremony described senior students giving dubious orders and committing many acts of sexual harassment and discrimination against freshmen, especially male students. 

 

The Anti-Sotus group was formed in response to a tradition in Thai universities termed “Seniority, Order, Tradition, Unity and Spirit”, which has often been associated with student hazing. 

 

The stories from anonymous students posted on the Anti-Sotus page described hazing, including forcing male freshmen to strip naked and shower together before ordering them to simulate sexual acts. Students also claimed that senior male students had rubbed their penises against freshmen’s buttocks.

 

Such behaviour could be defined as sexual assault.

 

Another student wrote in a post that freshmen had been woken in the middle of the night and forced to take off all their clothes and lie down in positions in which the young students’ faces were aligned with each other’s buttocks.

 

Another freshmen wrote that she had been rebuked by a senior student, who said she had used her mother’s death as an excuse to skip the freshmen welcoming ceremony. The student wrote that her mother had recently passed away.

 

An online campaign on Change.org has also been created to demand that Silpakorn University investigate the issue. 

 

The Anti-Sotus Fanpage stated that there had not been a response from senior students, teachers or the university about extreme hazing, despite allegations of abusive behaviour and sexual harassment of freshmen students at initiation ceremonies being repeated year after year.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30326947

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-18

What is wrong with young people today? Who added discrimination, shame and pain to the list of things that are funny? Sad to see that the human mind is sinking to such a low level.

I don't understand why they can't look out for themselves. I'd tell them to stuff their ritual where the sun don't shine and that I don't give two hoots. What's infuriating is that most don't like having to do this activity, but then the year after they are dishing it out. Disgraceful behaviour

3 hours ago, Get Real said:

What is wrong with young people today? Who added discrimination, shame and pain to the list of things that are funny? Sad to see that the human mind is sinking to such a low level.

Hazing has always been a dubious student activity.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The stories from anonymous students posted on the Anti-Sotus page described hazing, including forcing male freshmen to strip naked and shower together before ordering them to simulate sexual acts. Students also claimed that senior male students had rubbed their penises against freshmen’s buttocks.

 

Such behaviour could be defined as sexual assault.

Could be? 

 

"Is", not "could be". 

51 minutes ago, hansnl said:

Hazing has always been a dubious student activity.

Yup! Unfortunately hazing is a cross cultural tradition that is found in many English speaking countries. Its roots???

Hazing has always happened. It's just that in the past people did not moan about it and expect the state to 'make it all better'. 

That said there ought to be some guidelines. 

Hazing can be pretty torturous in the U.S. without the crude sexual acts as written in the article.  However, the big difference is that you only get hazed if it's your choice to join a fraternity or sorority and 99% know what they are getting into.  

Is this where the ordinary Thai learns subservience to older, 'wiser' people who will lord it over them for years to come?

It's all so horrific.  

17 hours ago, mikebell said:

Is this where the ordinary Thai learns subservience to older, 'wiser' people who will lord it over them for years to come?

No. That starts at birth and continues through anuban, prathom and matthayom. This is the finishing school.