Students petition human rights body to investigate death of military cadet at school

By THE NATION

 

 

A GROUP of student activists yesterday lodged a petition with the National Human Rights Commission asking for an investigation into the death of teenage cadet Phakhapong Tanyakan, who died in October at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School.

The group representing Free Thammasat for Democracy, the Anti-Sotus Group, Chulalongkorn Community for the People and Law Long Beach Third Way Thailand submitted their appeal to commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit, who agreed to look into the matter.

 

The Anti-Sotus group was organised to oppose student hazing associated with the tradition of “seniority, order, tradition, unity, spirit” associated with Thai universities.

 

The commission should investigate the training and punishment in military schools and camps, as there had been many deaths in recent years, the group said in a statement. 

 

Severe punishment was a violation of human rights, which the National Human Rights Commission was obligated to investigate, it added. 

 

Phakhapong, 18, died on October 17. An autopsy performed by the military-run Phramongkutklao Hospital concluded that he had died of sudden cardiac arrest, but his family did not believe the finding and asked the Justice Ministry’s Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS) to conduct another autopsy. 

 

The CIFS examination sparked a new controversy after it was found that Phakhapong’s internal organs had been removed, increasing suspicion about his death and practices at the military school.

 

After a request from the family, the military hospital transferred the cadet’s organs to the CIFS for an autopsy, the results of which are so far unknown. 

 

The family said on Sunday that a primary analysis of the first autopsy indicated that Phakhapong might have died due to causes other than cardiac arrest. One of the teenager’s ribs was broken and blood was found in his spleen and liver, indicating that he might have been hit with a hard object, the family said on Sunday, citing an anonymous physician. 

 

After the appeal from the student activists, Angkhana said yesterday the human rights commission would conduct a fact-finding process questioning all concerned parties including the family, the school and forensic experts. 

 

However, she said the inquiry would take an unspecified amount of time, she said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30332637

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-28

I hope This news will no be forgotten after few days....

Lots of Thais feeling more confident to speak out about issues as 'the election' is supposed to be looming. Their voices will only get louder. What will those in charge do?

It's a non-event, a non-starter.

 

The PM is army, allegedly corrupt, and got nothing to learn from anyone - knows it all. This is going nowhere.

 

Another day, another farce.

Edited November 28, 20178 yr by Sid Celery

2 hours ago, Sid Celery said:

It's a non-event, a non-starter.

 

The PM is army, allegedly corrupt, and got nothing to learn from anyone - knows it all. This is going nowhere.

 

Another day, another farce.

No, they may lose young minds one day, and where will the military be then ? 

Any investigation other than human rights body from outside Thailand is meaningless! The country is beyond redemption with regard to justice for those not wealthy or influential .

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

Basically he was kicked to death by a bully and coward, who seized upon the opportunity to kick someone while they were down. Find out who was that person and charge him with murder !

29 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

No, they may lose young minds one day, and where will the military be then ? 

As you know, the Thai philosophy is 'worry about today today and tomorrow some other time'- it's typical folk buddhism. If they do lose young minds and the election, they'll claim they were misunderstood, the victims of ill-intentioned but un-named people and bugger off down the wat to have a nice pray. Might even buy an amulet for next time.

21 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

Basically he was kicked to death by a bully and coward, who seized upon the opportunity to kick someone while they were down. Find out who was that person and charge him with murder !

Won't happen - as you know. If they did that then the people would not be in awe of the Thai Armed Forces, and the protection of a certain someone would disappear. Can't have that...

3 hours ago, markaoffy said:

Any investigation other than human rights body from outside Thailand is meaningless! The country is beyond redemption with regard to justice for those not wealthy or influential .

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

Wasn't the student that was punished too harshly  from the class of wealthy and influential; not some local Somchai out of the village. The entire school is sons of the Hiso and wealthy and powerful, no scholarships there for lessor  classes, I think.

Edited November 28, 20178 yr by IAMHERE
added weasel words

Asking the NHRC to investigate the army is the best way to make sure the case will be burried. 

Good for the students for speaking out.  Everyone knows that soldiers and cadets are regularly tortured to death by NCOs and "seniors" for trivial reasons, or just for fun, and this case seems to be no exception.  But most people are too terrified to confront the issue in the current climate. 

An army that has to rely on brutality and murders its own men to maintain discipline has serious problems of leadership. If they had to fight a real war, resentment and fear of being led to their deaths by incompetent commanders would boil over and there would be fraggings of NCOs and officers all round.   

8 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Basically he was kicked to death by a bully and coward, who seized upon the opportunity to kick someone while they were down. Find out who was that person and charge him with murder !

I agree that whoever killed this young man should answer for his/their actions. But, it seems clear that there is a culture of bullying in the Thai armed forces which allowed the boy's superiors to feel entitled to inflict severe punishment.

 

The senior officers (even the current government) should take responsibility for this and answer for their neglect.

 

There is an opportunity here to give a genuine apology to the boy's family, accept the faults of the system, and start to put things right - not just for the Officers Academy, but for the conscripts too.

 

I won't hold my breath while waiting.

Sadly the ranks have closed on this one...go students.... attend your classes now...

18 hours ago, Raymonddiaz said:

I hope This news will no be forgotten after few days....

It will be