Sexual Assault Victims In Deep South Silenced By State Payouts: Angkhana

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Sexual assault victims in deep South silenced by state payouts: Angkhana
Thanapat Kitjakosol
The Nation on Sunday


Angkhana

YALA: -- Angkhana Neelaphaijit, a leading rights advocate for Thai Muslims, has voiced concern over continued sexual assaults against Muslim women by security officials stationed in the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

The widow of abducted lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit, who has been providing legal assistance to Muslim suspects in the three southern border provinces, voiced concerns during an address at a press conference by Amnesty International to launch their annual report last Thursday.

She said women raped or sexually assaulted by soldiers were compensated with sums of up to Bt200,000 and forced not to reveal the matter - or forced to marry the soldiers, who then escaped prosecution.

"None of the security officials who committed human rights violations have been prosecuted or faced criminal action,'' she said.

When these soldiers completed their mission and were transferred out of the restive area, the Muslim women had to move with their husbands. "But most of the marriages end in divorce because the women cannot adapt to a culture and society they are unfamiliar with,'' she said.

The youngest Muslim girl found to have been raped and made pregnant was a 10-year-old from Yala, she added.

Although the number of human rights violations involving torture, abduction and murder have subsided, summary executions are on the rise including the murder of suspects acquitted by the courts. Locals have lost faith in the justice system because investigators cannot find enough evidence to prosecute suspects, resulting in them being acquitted.

Angkhana said the government had won praise for its rehabilitation programmes and giving compensation to people abused by state officials, but she questioned the mindset that money could replace justice. "Money cannot compensate human value and dignity. A society that lacks justice will never achieve peace."

She said the government had injected a huge amount of development funding into the area, but had failed to distribute the funds for the purpose of human resource development. She said the funds ended up in the hands of local leaders. This made people wonder if the government was only using the money to gain their support.

The government's plan to bring peace to the Far South was full of holes because it did not include a process for finding out the truth and providing justice to victims. The major problem was, in fact, a structural one. "Thai society is in dire need of police, military and justice reforms,'' she said.

Angkhana also voiced concern about the country's lack of legislation on abduction and forced disappearances, which have deprived victims of justice and legal protection.

The government, she said, had resorted to forced disappearances to get rid of political opponents, labour leaders and activists. She said this had been going on since 1947, with the disappearance of prominent figures like Tiang Sirikhan, Porn Malithong, Thanong Pho-arn and her husband Somchai - the only disappearance in which a victim's family had been able to get the matter to court.

Because the country lacked laws on abduction and forced disappearance, the Appeals Court refused to allow her and her husband's family to lodge a case as joint plaintiffs.

"Key evidence in the case was dismissed because suspects were police or law enforcers. It is therefore impossible that we can expect fair justice,'' she said.

Information compiled by the Justice for Peace Foundation on 40 forced disappearances, found that 94 per cent of the "disappeared" were men and 86 per cent were ethnic minorities such as Thai Malay men. The foundation says the government's use of military force in the South and the 'War on drugs' were state policies that led to forced disappearances.

During the Thaksin regime in 2003, almost 3,000 people were killed in the 'War on drugs'. There were only two instances in which relatives were able to bring the cases to trial.

-- The Nation 2013-05-26

[OzMick]

Good muslim girls forced into marriage after being sexually assaulted - just how are they "forced"? Could it have something to do with the archaic attitude to sexual assault, and consensual sex, of the society that they live in.

[eddie61]

Good muslim girls forced into marriage after being sexually assaulted - just how are they "forced"? Could it have something to do with the archaic attitude to sexual assault, and consensual sex, of the society that they live in.

i could be forced into sex for 200,000 baht

[chainarong]

These are very serious allegations by Angkhana and should be acted on straight away, Perhaps D.S.I. would like to head the investigation , instead of targeting opposition M.P.'s on frivolous charges , some real heavy CSI and super sleuthing by the D.S.I might win back some credibility , but I doubt the lazy ignoramuses could find their way out of a packet of chips.

[berg1666]

Good muslim girls forced into marriage after being sexually assaulted - just how are they "forced"? Could it have something to do with the archaic attitude to sexual assault, and consensual sex, of the society that they live in.

i could be forced into sex for 200,000 baht

With a couple of army boys? Each to their own I guess.

[impulse]

If true, kind of paints a different picture of the "cowardly scum" that's causing mayhem in the deep south.

Maybe it's not about religion.

Maybe they just don't accept getting raped, beaten, shot, and suffocated while in custody.

[Estrada]

Not sure why they refer to Angkhana as the widow of Somchai Neelaphajit. I used to drink coffee with him at his relative's coffee shop here in Bangkok until his disappearance in 2004. As far as I understand he is missing and only presumed dead. We still live in hope that he is still alive and that they are still looking for him.

[bangarang]

a lot more things could have been done for 200,000 thb instead of covering up these crimes. Either way its going to get out. I dont see why these people think they will get away with it because by the time 1 person speaks up it blows up into a giant thing, then whats the point in wasting money to cover it up? Use that money to take care of the situation in the south, not make it worse.

[drdoom6996]

Sounds like the Thailand I know and love. Pay them so they won't talk and run away. Does the PTP government care. HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bunnaag]

does the government really think they can bring peace to the south with soldiers?Never ever.As already proposed a special zone might be established

[timewilltell]

This woman speaks more sense than any politician or policeman I have ever come across. Respect.

[SOTIRIOS]

...good to see Yingluck upholding women's rights in Thailand....

(..only when there is a photo opportunity....or free publicity.....or high visibility seminar or such....)

[bangon04]

The major problem was, in fact, a structural one. "Thai society is in dire need of police, military and justice reforms,'' she said.

"Key evidence in the case was dismissed because suspects were police or law enforcers. It is therefore impossible that we can expect fair justice,'' she said.

This does not sound like a "Southern" problem, does it........ Is she trying to make a case that the southerners are being treated somehow differently??

[Dap]

Good muslim girls forced into marriage after being sexually assaulted - just how are they "forced"? Could it have something to do with the archaic attitude to sexual assault, and consensual sex, of the society that they live in.

Unfortunately OM, not only the "Muslim" girls/women but the same goes on in the refugee camps (that I am personally aware of) and much the same elsewhere in Thailand. "Peer preasure" would seem to be the "force". Methinks it all has to do with the concept of "Saving Face". Very sad.

[kamahele]

There is no excuse for rape. Not politics, not war, not religion.

[triffid]

I won't comment on what this piece says about Thailand's handling of the insurrection in the south. But what does it say about the thai army when it lacks discipline to this degree and perpetrators of barbarous behaviour towards female non-combatants go unpunished?

[Nisa]

No excuse for the soldiers raping women but it is not at all uncommon across the globe in conflict areas and more common than not resulting in nothing being done. So, good to at least see the victims receiving compensation and would assume if this amount of compensation is being paid, internal actions are also being taken against the soldier, if known, to prevent this type of thing happening again. Sad situation all around down there but 200,000 baht is a life changing for most down there ... then again so is rape.

[metisdead]

A post containing profanities has been removed as well as some nonsense posts and replies.

[hellodolly]

This is the first article I have read from the Muslim side and it paints a very sad picture.

The lady makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately that is not the root of the problem in the deep south.

As I have said often before Yingluck could be the answer. It would involve her spending less time in shopping malls and photo ops. If she would spend more time down there and concentrate her efforts on the people trying to help them in there every day life's. Show them that she cares about them personally. Show then that she is not there because it is her job. show some real concern and care for the every day law abiding citazens. With there support the terrorists would not long survive. They would no longer have people protecting them.

If a soldier rapes some one do not cover it up treat them the same as if they were in Bangkok actually be harder on them than if they were in Bangkok be more open in the workings of the army. Sending Chalerm down there to handle the situation was a slap in the face to them they all know he is useless and could care less.

[Joe Mamma]

When some idiot American soldiers behaved badly during the Vietnam war, it caused all the soldiers there to suffer and was counter to the war efforts. This undermines the Thai security operations.

[Nisa]

When some idiot American soldiers behaved badly during the Vietnam war, it caused all the soldiers there to suffer and was counter to the war efforts. This undermines the Thai security operations.

Interesting how the government tells people to kill, maim and cause suffering to fellow humans for the governments gains and in fact say they should be seen as heroes for doing such but then look at these soldiers as evil if they do any of these things for their own gains ... in reality governments expect these kinds of acts during war time and really don't care much about them unless of course they become public.

You just cannot give people the right to kill and hurt others and not expect a good number of them to act out in ways they normally would have never done. An example is the US Military, which is much more professional, trained and accountable than the Thai Military, where rape is now at a point which they themselves describe as epidemic but still have done nothing to curtail the increasing incidents.

Edited May 26, 2013 by Nisa

[Robby nz]

While rape by anyone in inexcusable she does seem to dismiss very lightly the bombings and shootings that are reported every day, often against woman, children and in particular teachers.

I very much doubt these acts can be justified by rapes by soldiers.

While as I have said there can be no excuse for rape the troops down there are in a life threatening situation through no fault of their own.

I can well understand that after being shot at and seen their comrades killed by bombs that when one of those responsible is caught the soldiers are in no mood to show mercy.

So while talk of executions and beatings may be justified in some instances.

Should someone who has, for sure been doing the shooting and bombing be caught it is understandable to me that they get a bullet rather than be left to the mercies of the courts which may just let them go to do it again.

[cup-O-coffee]

Am I missing something; or, why is this just coming out into the news now?

And on that note; is there really anyone out there who ever imagines being a victim of crime in Thailand and ending their thought with justice being served? Not me. I invariably always end my thought with the one committing the crime never ever getting their just desserts. What I mean is, criminal punishment is supposed to either make the criminal stop doing what they do, or end them or keep them locked up forever. This does not seem to be the case in Thailand in general.

I submit that those who serve time in prison are merely the bottom of the barrel; those who don't have the money to be released because they don't have enough to pay the victims.

And with that thought, it just occurred to me that this is, in fact, the way things are handled in Thailand in anything other than extreme cases, where the crime is too evident to cover up. Otherwise... pay them off. Manslaughter... pay them off. Rape... pay them off. That is Thai style. It is not Islamic style. So, this Islamic woman, who lives in Thailand, is merely describing a moot point in Thailand from an Islamic point of view, and trying to enforce her Islamic fundamental beliefs on a given Thai situation. Not that her beliefs are wrong, because her sense of decency has nothing to do with being Islamic, and more to do with being human.

She is getting the attention she deserves, yet once again, I fear that the cacophony of international protest will fall on deaf ears in the Kingdom. The regrettable thing is that anyone could conceivably call her a conspiracy theorist and accuse her of wearing a tinfoil hat with the lack of supportive evidence to back up her mere words.

I sympathize with this woman, but she hasn't a snowball's chance to make difference.

Perhaps the article from a day or two ago should have its headline placed in lieu of this article's headline ("Thai Society Sees Women as 'Lowly'"). This, I believe, would be more directly to the point.

Edited May 27, 2013 by cup-O-coffee

[OzMick]

When some idiot American soldiers behaved badly during the Vietnam war, it caused all the soldiers there to suffer and was counter to the war efforts. This undermines the Thai security operations.

Interesting how the government tells people to kill, maim and cause suffering to fellow humans for the governments gains and in fact say they should be seen as heroes for doing such but then look at these soldiers as evil if they do any of these things for their own gains ... in reality governments expect these kinds of acts during war time and really don't care much about them unless of course they become public.

You just cannot give people the right to kill and hurt others and not expect a good number of them to act out in ways they normally would have never done. An example is the US Military, which is much more professional, trained and accountable than the Thai Military, where rape is now at a point which they themselves describe as epidemic but still have done nothing to curtail the increasing incidents.

<deleted>! conscript some poor kid, put him in a green uniform and teach him to use a rifle, and instantly he turns into a killing machine devoid of all moral judgement and quite happy to rape any woman that gets within penis range.

Could there not be some social and situational problems here? Young men scared crapless that they could be killed or maimed at any time may resort to intoxicants off duty, they may have problems differentiating the willingness to participate in sexual congress of the local girls compared to those at home, they may also be quite attractive in some of their attitudes and other attributes, especially disposable income (flash Harrys, if you like) to local girls.

Are the girl's parents likely to consider consensual fraternisation/canoodling as much different from sexual assault? Will there be obvious differences between rape and consensual sex, with or without 4 male muslim witnesses? What does a society that seems to view a girl as a chattel valued somewhat less than a cow but more than a goat think about her voluntarily deciding to marry outside her religion? Could not some local women see marriage as an escape from a restrictive religion?

[Pi Sek]

When some idiot American soldiers behaved badly during the Vietnam war, it caused all the soldiers there to suffer and was counter to the war efforts. This undermines the Thai security operations.

Interesting how the government tells people to kill, maim and cause suffering to fellow humans for the governments gains and in fact say they should be seen as heroes for doing such but then look at these soldiers as evil if they do any of these things for their own gains ... in reality governments expect these kinds of acts during war time and really don't care much about them unless of course they become public.

You just cannot give people the right to kill and hurt others and not expect a good number of them to act out in ways they normally would have never done. An example is the US Military, which is much more professional, trained and accountable than the Thai Military, where rape is now at a point which they themselves describe as epidemic but still have done nothing to curtail the increasing incidents.

<deleted>! conscript some poor kid, put him in a green uniform and teach him to use a rifle, and instantly he turns into a killing machine devoid of all moral judgement and quite happy to rape any woman that gets within penis range.

Could there not be some social and situational problems here? Young men scared crapless that they could be killed or maimed at any time may resort to intoxicants off duty, they may have problems differentiating the willingness to participate in sexual congress of the local girls compared to those at home, they may also be quite attractive in some of their attitudes and other attributes, especially disposable income (flash Harrys, if you like) to local girls.

Are the girl's parents likely to consider consensual fraternisation/canoodling as much different from sexual assault? Will there be obvious differences between rape and consensual sex, with or without 4 male muslim witnesses? What does a society that seems to view a girl as a chattel valued somewhat less than a cow but more than a goat think about her voluntarily deciding to marry outside her religion? Could not some local women see marriage as an escape from a restrictive religion?

Not when they're 10 years old.

[OzMick]

Not when they're 10 years old.

Agreed. But once the women involved reach (or even come close to) age of consent, the severity of the problem will vary depending on POV.

[MikeOboe57]

So this woman claims that upright god-fearing muslim families in the southern provinces of Thailand are willing to sell their defiled daughters for a few thousand baht to her infidel rapist? And the local terrorists haven't used this yet as an excuse for their indiscriminate killing sprees?

As she doesn't back this allegation up with some solid proof it is more likely that these stories are produced by muslim fathers who allowed their daughters to marry an "infidel" and want to avoid being targeted by those self-proclaimed jihadists.

I will, of course, repent if she comes up with more than third party hearsay.

[simple1]

When some idiot American soldiers behaved badly during the Vietnam war, it caused all the soldiers there to suffer and was counter to the war efforts. This undermines the Thai security operations.

Interesting how the government tells people to kill, maim and cause suffering to fellow humans for the governments gains and in fact say they should be seen as heroes for doing such but then look at these soldiers as evil if they do any of these things for their own gains ... in reality governments expect these kinds of acts during war time and really don't care much about them unless of course they become public.

You just cannot give people the right to kill and hurt others and not expect a good number of them to act out in ways they normally would have never done. An example is the US Military, which is much more professional, trained and accountable than the Thai Military, where rape is now at a point which they themselves describe as epidemic but still have done nothing to curtail the increasing incidents.

<deleted>! conscript some poor kid, put him in a green uniform and teach him to use a rifle, and instantly he turns into a killing machine devoid of all moral judgement and quite happy to rape any woman that gets within penis range.

Could there not be some social and situational problems here? Young men scared crapless that they could be killed or maimed at any time may resort to intoxicants off duty, they may have problems differentiating the willingness to participate in sexual congress of the local girls compared to those at home, they may also be quite attractive in some of their attitudes and other attributes, especially disposable income (flash Harrys, if you like) to local girls.

Are the girl's parents likely to consider consensual fraternisation/canoodling as much different from sexual assault? Will there be obvious differences between rape and consensual sex, with or without 4 male muslim witnesses? What does a society that seems to view a girl as a chattel valued somewhat less than a cow but more than a goat think about her voluntarily deciding to marry outside her religion? Could not some local women see marriage as an escape from a restrictive religion?

You make ugly accusations against Thai Muslims & constantly harp on about practices that actually occur in some Arab Muslim societies, not in Thailand. Thai Muslims do not subscribe to practice of 4 male muslim witnesses, they follow Thai Criminal Law. In another post in this topic you comment about forced marraiges and in the same manner above allude to Thai Muslim women wishing to marry their rapist to escape their faith? Have you not considered that if the victims do not accept monetary conpensation to save their attackers from charges or enter into forced marriages for the same reason they would most likely be "disappeared"

You even attempt to minimise the crime of rape by Thai armed forces. You are despicable.

[OzMick]

When some idiot American soldiers behaved badly during the Vietnam war, it caused all the soldiers there to suffer and was counter to the war efforts. This undermines the Thai security operations.

Interesting how the government tells people to kill, maim and cause suffering to fellow humans for the governments gains and in fact say they should be seen as heroes for doing such but then look at these soldiers as evil if they do any of these things for their own gains ... in reality governments expect these kinds of acts during war time and really don't care much about them unless of course they become public.

You just cannot give people the right to kill and hurt others and not expect a good number of them to act out in ways they normally would have never done. An example is the US Military, which is much more professional, trained and accountable than the Thai Military, where rape is now at a point which they themselves describe as epidemic but still have done nothing to curtail the increasing incidents.

<deleted>! conscript some poor kid, put him in a green uniform and teach him to use a rifle, and instantly he turns into a killing machine devoid of all moral judgement and quite happy to rape any woman that gets within penis range.

Could there not be some social and situational problems here? Young men scared crapless that they could be killed or maimed at any time may resort to intoxicants off duty, they may have problems differentiating the willingness to participate in sexual congress of the local girls compared to those at home, they may also be quite attractive in some of their attitudes and other attributes, especially disposable income (flash Harrys, if you like) to local girls.

Are the girl's parents likely to consider consensual fraternisation/canoodling as much different from sexual assault? Will there be obvious differences between rape and consensual sex, with or without 4 male muslim witnesses? What does a society that seems to view a girl as a chattel valued somewhat less than a cow but more than a goat think about her voluntarily deciding to marry outside her religion? Could not some local women see marriage as an escape from a restrictive religion?

You make ugly accusations against Thai Muslims & constantly harp on about practices that actually occur in some Arab Muslim societies, not in Thailand. Thai Muslims do not subscribe to practice of 4 male muslim witnesses, they follow Thai Criminal Law. In another post in this topic you comment about forced marraiges and in the same manner above allude to Thai Muslim women wishing to marry their rapist to escape their faith? Have you not considered that if the victims do not accept monetary conpensation to save their attackers from charges or enter into forced marriages for the same reason they would most likely be "disappeared"

You even attempt to minimise the crime of rape by Thai armed forces. You are despicable.

Thank you for the gratuitous insult and the misrepresentations. I DID NOT suggest that muslim women may wish to marry their rapist to escape their faith, I questioned why that would ever happen. I said that muslim women may wish to marry soldiers for the same reason, and that possibly the girl's parents may consider consensual sex between the pair as rape. Do you think that there are NO women that chafe under the restrictions of islam, from which they see very few means of escape? Do you think every child born "muslim" is susceptible to brainwashing?

If you have evidence that those refusing compensation or "forced" marriage (and the force would have to come from their own family) have been "disappeared" please present it.

I do NOT attempt to minimise the crime of rape - I point out that the crime may be in the eyes of a sexually repressed society, and that what will be seen as rape and/or sexual assault by the religious and sexually repressed may be quite different in the view of the participants

[simple1]

Ozmick:

The only proof that I have is editorials and so on in the Thai English laguage media that acknowledge the existance of Thai Buddhist death squads that operate in the deep South. In addition it is openly reported on the "dissapparence" or murder of activists who speak out against injustices by Thai government agencies. Don't recall any of these killers appearing before Thai courts, so no "proof".

So far as your claim of not minimising the crime of rape, what other interpretation can you make of your words below or would prefer the term "apologist"?

"they may have problems differentiating the willingness to participate in sexual congress of the local girls compared to those at home, they may also be quite attractive in some of their attitudes and other attributes, especially disposable income (flash Harrys, if you like) to local girls"