Boot Camps

[12call]

Thailand gets tough with young offenders

Students could be given a warning, forced to clean toilets or sent to boot camps, depending on what they have done wrong

BANGKOK - A grim, mounting tidal wave of student violence has forced the Thai government to take extraordinary measures to instil discipline among wayward youths.

The Education Ministry has approved a 'punishment list' specifying a number of offences and corresponding punishments, ranging from simple warnings to cleaning toilets and boot camps.

Advertisement

The list was drawn up earlier this week after the first batch of violent students sent to military boot camps last month received glowing reports from visiting reporters.

But on Thursday, hours before they were scheduled to receive certificates at one of the camps, the students started a brawl in a toilet and had to be forcibly separated by military police.

Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik was unfazed, saying he wanted to create 'dream vocational schools one day' and that the government would continue the boot camp programme for delinquents.

Most of them are from relatively poor families and go to vocational schools where they get involved in gangs, drugs, alcohol and deadly late-night motorcycle-racing.

Many offenders have also been involved in gang rapes, riots and fatal shoot-outs, often taking the lives of innocent bystanders in a variation of America's notorious drive-by shootings.

During last year's summer holidays, the number of youth gang offenders held in 10 police stations in western Bangkok alone more than doubled, compared to the months when schools were open.

Most of those arrested were aged nine to 15. They robbed victims and used the money to buy drugs and alcohol and play video games, police said.

Since last year, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has made it clear that he had enough of violent students.

The Education Ministry hopes its 'punishment list' will become law by the end of next month.

When the law is in place, students can be given warnings, sent for correctional courses and forced to clean toilets. There are 16 offences. These include dyeing hair, having sex, gambling, prostitution, drug and alcohol use, using foul language, carrying weapons, fighting, damaging property, extortion and intimidation.

Punishments vary according to the severity of the offences. School dress code offenders, for example, will be given warnings.

Those found with weapons or involved in fights will be sent to military boot camps. Correctional courses will be applied to thieves, smokers and alcohol drinkers.

The first boot camp experiment was held at four army camps from Jan 23 to Feb 4, but only 354 out of 481 students showed up.