Military absolves its own over the death of cadet

[rooster59]

Military absolves its own over the death of cadet

By JITTRAPORN SENWONG 
THE NATION

 

 

FAMILY DISREGARDS REPORT THAT SAYS MEAY’S DEATH NOT CAUSED BY PUNISHMENT

 

THE MILITARY-ESTABLISHED fact-finding committee has concluded that the death of 18-year-old cadet Phakhapong “Meay” Tanyakan was not caused by any punishment. 

 

The committee, however, confirmed that Phakhapong was subject to inappropriate penalties at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (AFAPS) during the 48 hours before his death on October 17. 

 

Phakhapong’s family said the probe results did not provide any new insights. Civil-society group Cross-Cultural Foundation said the committee’s work suggested continuing efforts to protect members of military-linked units.

 

Phakhapong’s elder sister Supicha Tanyakan yesterday vowed to continue fighting for justice over her sibling’s untimely death.

 

She spoke up after the fact-finding committee held a press conference on Phakhapong’s case. “We do not believe that the penalties could have caused the death,” committee chair ACM Chawarat Marungruang said.

Supreme Commander General Thanchaiyan Srisuwan set up the committee last month, after Phakhapong’s family publicly raised doubts about his untimely death. 

 

According to the family, Phakhapong almost died on August 23 because of punishment meted out by senior students at the AFAPS. There are thus grounds to suspect that Phakhapong’s death was related to inappropriate penalties such as headstands and more, they said. 

 

While the Chawarat-headed committee invited Phakhapong’s family to a meeting next Monday to explain the results of his committee’s probe, Supicha separately said her family would have to go to a police station that day and would need to postpone the meeting with the committee. 

 

At yesterday’s press conference, Chawarat said that Phakhapong had shown signs of hyperventilation and stress. Some of his cardiac muscle cells also had an abnormal size – something not usually found among teenagers. 

 

He added that an autopsy by the Institute of Pathology at the military-installed Phramongkutklao Hospital had identified acute cardiac arrest as the cause of Phakhapong’s death. 

 

Regarding damage to Phakhapong’s rib, Chawarat said it was possible that four hours of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – done in the hope of reviving the cadet – might have broken his fourth rib. 

 

Chawarat said his committee had interviewed 42 people before reaching its conclusions. 

 

They included 22 AFAPS students, three medics, four administrative military officers at the AFAPS, Phakhapong’s homeroom teacher, and two physical-education teachers at the preparatory school.

 

The rest were ambulance drivers and some other school officials. 

 

Chawarat emphasised that the four senior students who had ordered inappropriate punishment had already been punished themselves – losing good behaviour points and their status as commanding students. He said the removal of such a status was a big dishonour to AFAPS students.

 

Cross-Cultural Foundation director Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, said the committee’s conclusions reflected a tendency in the military to protect its own people and was a problem plaguing the entire military institution in Thailand.

 

“From the press conference of the military today, we can see that they are trying to help cover up the crime of some person in their institute. It reflects the bigger problem of the military – their culture emphasises protecting their own,” Pornpen said.

 

“It is normal for every organisation to have someone committing a crime. However, it is abnormal if the organisation tries to cover up the crime for these wrongdoers, which is an abuse of power.”

 

She urged the military to instead promote transparency in every case involving military officers. Regarding Phakhapong’s death, she said the military should stop influencing the case and let the justice system work independently. She also said it was questionable to allow the military to investigate itself, which creates an inherent conflict of interest in the investigation. A neutral organisation should be investigating the death. 

 

It has been reported that in the past decade, only two of at least nine known cases of soldiers who had died while in a military facility had gone through the courts. The two suspects, Private Yutkinan Boonniam and Corporal Kittikorn Suthiraphan, were found guilty.

 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30334053

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-16

 

[rkidlad]

6 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Chawarat said his committee had interviewed 42 people before reaching its conclusions

I think the conclusion was reached well before that. 

[leeneeds]

6 minutes short of 2 hours for CPR to administered 

some body was shitting themselves , 

 

[darksidedog]

Once again the Government show themselves to be utterly spineless and to allow a murder to go unpunished. They clearly don't have the intelligence to realise that by doing so, they are doing nothing to prevent this from happening again. Their is a mindset in the military that is totally wrong. This was an opportunity to address that, but clearly honesty is not and never has been a strong point for the Junta.

[sammieuk1]

The absolution required the usual official military grade broad brush narrow carpet concept to fairly reach the in-depth conclusion.

[ratcatcher]

[ezzra]

So i guess that the term "impartial fact finding committee"  accepted by all

parties is a concept completely lost on the army.. why?  have they got

anything to hide?......

[Sirbergan]

Quote

Regarding damage to Phakhapong’s rib, Chawarat said it was possible that four hours of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – done in the hope of reviving the cadet – might have broken his fourth rib. 

 

I almost hope this is a lie (or typo), as the stupidity of trying to revive someone for 4 hours is mind-blowing.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Sirbergan
(or typo) added

[ratcatcher]

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

 have they got anything to hide?......

They are experts at hiding. It's called 

[NanLaew]

53 minutes ago, leeneeds said:

6 minutes short of 2 hours for CPR to administered 

some body was shitting themselves , 

 

...or not trained in the basics of CPR.

 

The army claims the rib may have been broken during "four hours of cardiopulmonary resuscitation" which, as noted earlier is totally inappropriate if basic life signs are not re-established but also contradicts their own published time line where CPR was administered between 6:24 PM and 8:20 PM.

 

Edited December 16, 2017 by NanLaew

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Chawarat emphasised that the four senior students who had ordered inappropriate punishment had already been punished themselves – losing good behaviour points and their status as commanding students. He said the removal of such a status was a big dishonour to AFAPS students.

Takes the biscuit, eh? The army equivalent of donning sunglasses and wearing white before shaving ones head and popping into the temple for a long weekend after a hi-so's inappropriate and illegal actions has caused the death of a lower-order life form.

[klauskunkel]

One can only hope that this culture steeped in corruption is slowly dying form exposure, case by sorry case.

[jaiyen]

Same od answer....."We believe that....."    Never stating facts only what they want to believe, which is always lies, never the truth

[quadperfect]

Good luck getting justice here in thailand for a long ,long time. 

The country is developing and to develope sacrifices must be made. Head stands saunas and leap frog are juvinial.

So here in thailand if you are from the western societys just hold youre toung cause you have no idea what its like . Most of the west is 75 years maybe  more ahead of thailand.

But the good news is because of evolution thailand will be like western worlds are today in a much shorter time frame. I am guessing 30 years or so.

Ive been here 10 and its gone backwards so that needs to be considered too.

 

[AGareth2]

1 hour ago, leeneeds said:

6 minutes short of 2 hours for CPR to administered 

some body was shitting themselves , 

 

one has to wonder why he was not admitted to a CCU in that time

[Retiredandhappyhere]

They just do not seem to realize the dishonour thay bring on themselves by handling sad cases like this one.

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Their is a mindset in the military that is totally wrong.

and the thai public has allowed them to self-condition themselves to a point where they Cannot change

[kcpattaya]

Ahhh come-on... 
Don't expect them to take the matter too serious.
He's dead anyway.

[mikebell]

Dreadful verdict - so predictable.  Are we still waiting for the DNA chemical?

[Siameaze]

"What a tangled web we weave

When first we lie to deceive"

Sir Walter Scott

[chuang]

Does anyone need 4 hours of CPR.....I wonder....

[Dogmatix]

The military and the government seem insensitive to the fact that this sort of thing sends shivers down the spines of ordinary Thais because they all have sons, brothers, husbands, grandsons, cousins etc who will be subjected to the humiliating and totally unnecessary humiliation of the military draft board and the very real risk of conscription.  This case like the other recent case is even worse because the dead cadet and recruit respectively were volunteers who were really keen to join the army. 

 

Those with political ambitions would do well to call a spade a spade and have those responsible arrested and tried for the murder that the vast majority of Thais believe was committed.  Protecting the guilty and standing up and ordering voters to believe this kind of stuff isn't going to wash.

[TKDfella]

Well, as far as I am aware cpr may be administered for for long periods BUT only when the patient cannot be connected to appropriate hospital equipment. The reasons are that a single person would find it difficult to maintain the necessary rhythm (100 per min) for long periods and damage to the Sternum and/or ribs. So in this case are we to assume that proper hospital equipment was not available? That's hard to believe.

[Krataiboy]

No surprise. Whitewashing everything that didn't move was standard procedure when I was a National Serviceman.

[Zack61]

No surprise here   Next please. 

[Happyman58]

That verdict was as sure as santa lives in the North Pole There was never other verdict  Corruption is just really bad here

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

the removal of such a status was a big dishonour to AFAPS students.

Removal of one's life takes greater meaning!

How can the military purport to serve national security when it violates Buddhist principles of virtue, right conduct, morality, moral discipline and precept in treatment of even its soldiers? ALL thai peoples need to reassess reform of the military.

[JonnyF]

The TV Junta huggers must be so proud of their position right now.

 

Haven’t seen any in this thread yet. Wonder why? Steven100 care to comment?

[lvr181]

Never send the wolf in to guard the sheep.  

 

Really, what other answer had anyone expected?

 

The Government is in a state of denial about anything that goes wrong within Government! And the 'big cheese' has also granted himself immunity from anything done wrong by him. 

 

My sympathies to the family who, unfortunately, were never going to 'win'.

[Media1]

The military is on equal scoring with the RTP. In corruption and hold a monthly competition. Hence Prayut stance on fake reforms.