Krabi Rehab Officials 'Killed Youth'

[webfact]

Rehab officials 'killed youth'

The Nation

KRABI: -- Some 200 youths broke out of a drug rehabilitation centre in Krabi's Muang district yesterday, claiming that officials had beaten one inmate to death and badly injured others.

The youths, aged 15-25, broke out of the centre in the Khlong Kham Pondok compound in Tambon Khlong Prasong and gathered at a multipurpose building at the nearby Ban Koh Khlang Mosque.

They claimed the breakout was done to protest at officials' heavy handling of an earlier escape by four youths. They said the four escaped from the centre but were recaptured. One was allegedly beaten to death, and another seriously injured and admitted to Krabi Hospital, the youths claimed.

Muang Krabi clerk Sopon Suwankharat said there was a previous report of a death and an injury at Khlong Kham Pondok, but police had to investigate what really happened first. He said that if the youths no longer wanted to stay at the pondok, the officials would contact their parents to take them home.

-- The Nation 2012-07-27

[beammeup]

"He said that if the youths no longer wanted to stay at the pondok, the officials would contact their parents to take them home."

Why did they beat them to death then???

Sick b@sterds

[jaltsc]

"The youths, aged 15-25..."

So tell me. How old do you have to be before you are considered an adult in Thailand? According to this article 25 year-olds are still considered youths, and are still the responsibility of their parents.

Edited July 27, 2012 by jaltsc

[ronthai]

Mentally they are still children when they are 25-30, so yes they are no adults, incl. most of their parents also.

[Chopperboy]

Mentally they are still children when they are 25-30, so yes they are no adults, incl. most of their parents also.

Yeh, but thats why they're lovable even when they're naughty - its a lot more fun living in a country staffed by "the children"

[hellodolly]

First treatment center I ever heard of where you were prisoners. The ones I had hear about (quite a few) you could just walk out on your own with out fear of being beating.

[Soupdragon]

First treatment center I ever heard of where you were prisoners. The ones I had hear about (quite a few) you could just walk out on your own with out fear of being beating.

Only guessing but maybe some of them are there as condition of a court judgement in which case they are effectively prisoners.

[webfact]

Drug rehab youths escape facility after friend beaten to death

Phuket Gazette

More than 200 students from the Por Noh Klong Gom drug rehabilitation school escaped on Thursday to protest against teaching assistants who allegedly beat a student to death. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- More than 200 youths escaped from the drug rehabilitation center at Por Noh Klong Gom School and sought the protection of a local mosque in Krabi on Thursday after one of their classmates was allegedly beaten to death by teaching assistants.

The school, although in Krabi, serves as a drug rehabilitation center for about 800 troubled youths from throughout Southern Thailand, most from the border provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

Bamrung Ginglek, brother of School Director Anurak Ginglek, confirmed that one student at the facility had died, and the boy’s body had already been sent back to his family in Yala.

Krabi District Chief Administrative Officer Sopon Suwankharat along with Krabi Police led by Lt Col Prasit Yodthong and more than 20 Territorial Defense Volunteers were dispatched to Baan Koh Klang Mosque, about two kilometers from the school, to investigate the incident.

The recently escaped youths explained to the officers that they had run away from the rehabilitation center because some of the teaching assistants there had viciously beaten two of the four students who attempted to escape on July 23.

Of the four students, two successfully evaded capture, while the other two were caught and allegedly beaten. One student, Abdulalima Ha, 20, is now being treated at a hospital in Krabi Town.

The other, Maha Manitayae,20, died from his injuries.

“We didn’t know about the death until after the body had been sent back to the student’s family in Yala. We now have to contact the relatives to get permission to exhume the body and perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death,” said Krabi Provincial Police Deputy Commander Boontawee Toraksa.

“This will be very difficult, because doing such a thing is against their religious beliefs,” said Col Boontawee.

Krabi Provincial Police plan to question all five teaching assistants accused of carrying out the beating. In addition, police are investigating whether or not the school director hid evidence about the incident, and in doing so obstructed justice.

“After an interview with Mr Abdulalima, we confirmed that there were at least five people who beat the two youths. We also learned that the incident was not reported to the police, which means the school director may be guilty of attempting to conceal this serious offense,” said Col Boontawee.

Mr Bamrung, who arrived at the school to take care of his brother, explained that the teaching assistants had chased down the escaped students. A fight then ensued, which resulted in the death of Mr Maha.

Police officers were told by youths at the school that many of them wanted to leave because they were afraid of being hurt like “their friends”. However, teaching assistants had prevented them from leaving.

“If they do not wish to be at the school, we will contact their parents, so that they can pick them up. We will transfer the students to Baan Koh Klang Mosque, where they can stay until their parents arrive to take them home,” explained Krabi District Chief Administrative Officer Sopon.

The students said that if the violence ceased, they would like to stay at the school.

The Por Noh Klong Gom School has about 500 local students enrolled in the regular curriculum and about 800 troubled youths, most from the Deep South, enrolled in the drug rehab program. The anti-drug program has been funded with more than one million baht from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16531.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-07-28

[HerbalEd]

"He said that if the youths no longer wanted to stay at the pondok, the officials would contact their parents to take them home."

Why did they beat them to death then???

Sick b@sterds

They're talking about the youths that just escaped, not the four who escaped earlier.

[HerbalEd]

Mentally they are still children when they are 25-30, so yes they are no adults, incl. most of their parents also.

Generalize much?

[webfact]

Krabi drug rehab student drowned in escape, says friend

Phuket Gazette

Students gather outside the Baan Koh Klang Mosque in Krabi, about two kilometers from Por Noh Klong Gom School. About 200 students fled the school on Thursday, followed by another 200 later. The school has now closed temporarily. Photo: Kritsada Meuanhawong

PHUKET: -- Eyewitness reports are now indicating that the student who died after escaping a youth drug rehab facility in Krabi last week was not beaten to death by teaching assistants, as initially reported, but rather drowned during his escape.

Allegations that student Maha Manitaya was beaten to death by the teaching assistants at Por Noh Klong Gom School prompted more than 200 fellow students to flee to a nearby mosque on Thursday.

Another 200 students have since fled the facility, prompting the school director to close the school temporarily.

Maj Chadchai Nakpaksi of the Krabi Police told reporters that Abdulalima Ha, Mr Maha’s partner in the escape, said that his friend did not die from a violent beating by teaching assistants, but rather drowned while trying to swim across the Krabi River.

“Mr Abdulalima said he and three friends broke out of the rehabilitation camp on July 21. They split into two different groups and hid in the mangrove forest for one night,” explained Maj Chadchai.

“The next day, they all attempted to swim 500 meters across the Krabi River to reach Krabi Town, where they hoped they would be able to catch a bus home.

“About 300 meters from the shore, Mr Maha succumbed to fatigue and started to go underwater. Mr Abdulalima yelled to fishermen in the area to help his friend,” he said.

It is unclear from Maj Chadchai’s report who pulled Mr Maha from the waters. However, he was allegedly pulled from the waters alive, but died onshore about five minutes later.

“Mr Abdulalima explained that he was taken back to the school by the teaching assistants and was kicked three times, but did not sustain significant injuries.

“He said he later got into a fight with other students back at the school and received a wound on his forehead that needed stitches, which is why he was sent to Jariyatham Ruampad Hospital in Krabi Town overnight,” Maj Chadchai explained.

“Once he was discharged from the hospital, we questioned him about the incident. He said it wasn’t true that his friend was beaten to death by teaching assistants and his injuries were not caused by them either,” he said.

The other two members of the group of four who escaped that day have made it home safely, he added.

Krabi Provincial Police Commander Jamroon Ruenrom explained that his team had already questioned Mr Abdulalima and received his account of the incident, but that the cause of Mr Maha’s death had still yet to be determined.

“The incident took place quite a while ago [July 21], but the police weren’t informed about it. They will now have to question everyone who is involved in the case before any conclusions can be made,” said Maj Gen Jamroon.

Meanwhile, Por Noh Klong Gom School owner Anurak Ginglek had the school contact students’ parents so they could take their children home.

Three military trucks from a Royal Thai Army base in Krabi have already taken 200 of the students to their homes in the Deep South.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16535.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-07-28