School hazing gets stern penalty in military-ruled Thailand

[webfact]

School hazing gets stern penalty in military-ruled Thailand
JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — At a military facility outside Bangkok, a drill sergeant barks orders at a group of film students learning the hard way that creative license has its limits in Thailand.

"You are here to learn discipline," the officer shouted. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" shouted back the group of 53 aspiring artists — boys with shaggy hair, girls with tattoos and yoga pants.

"Discipline means respecting the rules and regulations," he told them. "If you misbehave, you must be punished."

In military-ruled Thailand, this is how university hazing is handled. The offense: a video posted online that showed a half-dozen fully clothed freshman doing an erotic couples dance as upperclassmen cheered. Social media dubbed it a "love-making dance." The punishment: three days of boot camp for a new type of disciplinary punishment known as "attitude adjustment."

The military junta that seized power over a year ago pioneered the idea of "attitude adjustment" as a technique to silence critics. The junta summons politicians and others who voice dissent to military bases where they are typically incarcerated several days, interrogated and made to "confess" to their transgressions and sign a contract to not repeat them — a practice that has been widely criticized by human rights groups.

Now there are signs that the mentality of military rule is being applied to civilian issues — like college discipline.

For the students from the film school of Bangkok's Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, a three-day boot camp included reprimands, public humiliation and a grueling endurance test.

"We're not telling our film students don't make creative films, but in Thailand there are social limits. They need to be creative within the limits," said Chin Tangtarntana, a lecturer in cinematography and one of several professors who chaperoned the 3-day session last month that included silent meals and group lodging on a barrack floor lined with mattresses. "We have to reset their clocks. That's why we're here, to rewind. We're saying, 'Go back. Start over. OK, now be creative.'"

After a 2-hour bus drive northeast of the capital to the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, a 33-square-kilometer (20-square-mile) facility surrounded by mountains, the students' cellphones were confiscated to ensure no outside communication and primarily to prevent more videos, Chin said.

"The activities that will take place here will be good for you, and help you to become civilized people. Do you understand?" the drill sergeant, Sgt. Maj. Kongsak Klaeiklang, asked rhetorically. He led what he called an "ice-breaking" session that bore close resemblance to hazing: An overweight female student was singled out as a "hippopotamus" as others were told to "dance like hippos." Team games ended with the losers ordered to "walk like elephants," bent over in a human chain, clutching each other's hands between legs.

Then they were driven to a steamy, mosquito-infested jungle. Under a steady rainfall, the students were put through a different type of hazing.

Loud bangs exploded in the distance, and the students were ordered to run.

"Faster! Just keep breathing, you won't die," shouted Kongsak, after one student nearly fainted and was allowed to sit on the sidelines. He then ordered them to "DROP!" and crawl on their stomachs through muddy puddles and at one point to hurdle a barricade of fire.

"The idea is to break them down. Break down their ego. Humiliate them. And then we build them back up," Kongsak said, as soldiers led small groups on an arduous 5-kilometer (3-mile) jungle trek that included scaling rope ladders and balancing on swinging logs to cross a river.

The boot camp incident sparked little public uproar in a country where the education system has always had a militaristic streak — public schools have mandatory uniforms, hair must be kept short and some teachers still wield bamboo canes to enforce discipline through secondary school. Problem teens in violent high-school gangs have been sent to boot camps in the past.

But using the military to punish university hazing is a new approach, which commentators say sends a chilling message that the military is needed to solve society's problems even at institutions of higher learning.

"This order to the students to report to a military base is at least as inappropriate as the hazing incident," the Bangkok Post said in a recent editorial on the subject. The university "lost a little public respect with the hazing violation. It continues to lose even more respect with its reaction."

The very same university was also home to last year's infamous hazing ritual, which involved upperclassmen dripping hot candle wax on incoming freshman and burning the arms of several students. But in that case where bodily harm was actually caused nobody was punished, the editorial noted.

Critics say the hazing case highlights a trend toward militarization of Thai society under the junta, where those in charge don't believe that "attitude adjustment" will actually brainwash people — but the aim is to intimidate and discourage the outspoken from speaking out.

The former army chief who led the coup, Prayuth Chan-ocha, and is now serving as interim leader has launched a crackdown on dissent and has blocked public discussions about democracy. He regularly lashes out at those who question his authority and warns the public to stop asking for elections, which he says won't be held until 2017.

Hundreds of politicians, journalists, professors and other critics have been hauled in for "attitude adjustment" in the name of maintaining peace and order.

"People who say bad things and cause harm with their words, should they say those things?" Prayuth said to reporters last month, defending the latest round of political detentions that included a three-day incarceration of a prominent journalist, Pravit Rojanaphruk, and two politicians. "You cannot oppose me. No one will let you to do that."

Social commentator Sanitsuda Ekachai called it a sign of the times that the rector of a university chose to resort to military-style "attitude adjustment."

"When someone in his position believes that militarism is the answer ... it explains why the military still retains a strong grip on society," Sanitsuda wrote in a column for The Bangkok Post. In a separate column, she wrote that educators who rely on military discipline are sending a stifling message: "Those who resist will be punished. The country is heading full force toward being a military state."

Whether or not attitude adjustment works on students appears to depend on the individual.

An exhausted freshman, Natdanai Kedsanga, 20, ended the first day of boot camp with a realization.

"We were having too much fun, that was the problem," said about the video in which he was one of the dancers. "Now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't appropriate."

Pongpat Puchiangdang, a university senior, said the attitude adjustment had taught him a lesson — if you want to do something socially unacceptable just don't share it on social media.

"Stuff like this happens everywhere at all schools, and sometimes it's even worse. They just don't post it online," said Pongpat, a 22-year-old aspiring cameraman. "I don't think making that video was wrong. It's a good memory. We just shouldn't have publicized it."
___

Associated Press journalist Nattasuda Anusonadisai contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-05

[bamnutsak]

Stern penalty: Double-secret probation?

[thesetat2013]

The hazing was not that bad so this kind of action is more like an overreaction. Dancing sexily fully clothed. It begs to think what could be considered so bad next. Are they going to ban bikinis or have their woman walk around with long skirts and pants or shorts forbidden

[BigBadGeordie]

"We have to reset their clocks. That's why we're here, to rewind." Chin Tangtarntana, lecturer, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University.

I seem to recal from SE Asian history that this is not a new idea/process. Who was it? Ah yes, got it......."Reset the clock to year zero" Pol Pot!

And we all know how well that went.

Edited October 5, 2015 by BigBadGeordie

[Tatsujin]

The hazing was not that bad so this kind of action is more like an overreaction. Dancing sexily fully clothed. It begs to think what could be considered so bad next. Are they going to ban bikinis or have their woman walk around with long skirts and pants or shorts forbidden

Not so long ago, they said they wanted everyone to dress and behave more traditionally ... which is fine with me, especially as the women all get to walk around with their breasts exposed all the time

And let's not forget that dear Uncle has said that women who get raped bring it on themselves by dressing provocatively. Must have been a lot of rapes back in the old days then.

[harrycallahan]

In the west middle class white people pay to undergo this.

[Just1Voice]

Reset their clocks, or turn back their clocks?

[leeedwards]

Imbecilic infantile behavior. University students are supposed to be adults. But I guess if the universities treated them as such then maybe this sort of thing would stop. Throw out any students involved. It would soon stop.

[cyberfarang]

This is a good thing, it teaches young people how to be professional and discipline.

They should do this in the UK

[teacherpaul]

This is a good thing, it teaches young people how to be professional and discipline.

They should do this in the UK.

Yes, to car thieves and muggers, not university students, for God's Sake.

[Johnsy]

"attitude adjustment"........ A bit Orwellian isn't it!

[masuk]

You don't mean.............

They had to WALK in the jungle? No motor sais?

No mobile phones?

what punishment!!!

[Traveling Sailor]

Now, if they would do this to every government official, business person, military officer, etc., who is suspected of corruption, in any form, that would be wonderful.

[manhood]

Thailand turns more and more into the Chinese communist system or maybe more worse into North Korean system!!!!!!

So how this military junta want to go back to Happyness in Thailand.

It's jsut the happynes of the ruling regime, the rich and the corrupt ones in this country...

I was working as a journalist in the former communist countries and I see the way this military junta is now going! The way backward and far away from any democratic system!

Tooo bad for a beautiful country!

[louse1953]

So now the kids have woken up.You can haze,just don't advertise your cruelty to others and everything is ok.It starts and finishes with the parents,they don't say no enough in this country.

[springheeled jack]

this country is going headlong towards being a militarised state , attitude adjustment incarceration of dissenters , there are so many rules the junta have put into place that is affecting the country as a whole that the outside world don't know about , this is not hazing this is a process of breaking down ones spirit a process of complete humiliation brainwashing with a difference , big brother is watching you .

[Emster23]

Discipline and self control needs to be started a heck of a lot earlier than university level. Hazing to teach not to haze? This is sooo off in so many ways one could spend all day taking apart the offness of it all. Takes my mind out of boggle mode and straight into reeling....

[papa al]

page not unnerstan.

They were punished for hazing or for dirty dancing?

[Thailand]

You can bet that the hazing of new recruits in the military makes the university/school hazing look tame by comparison.

[realenglish1]

Soon they will be sending older ordinary citizens to these boot camp or Attitude adjusting camps for rehab since they do not agree with the military Junta .

Smacking of a well healed Dictator.

Although the young do need direction this only teaches them to hate authority more than they had in the past.

[Srikcir]

In military-ruled Thailand, one asks "Permission to Speak" and the reply is

"No."

"Stand down and obey your commander in chief."

[DrTuner]

Chulachomklao, the Russian translation must be "Gulag".

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

WOW... that's all I can say... WOW....

Going after opponent politicians and troublesome journalists, that I can understand. Not agree with, but understand from the perspective of the ruling government.

But going after university students for posting a silly video is really another step. And, AFAIK, the government didn't have the opponent politicians and troublesome journalists put through a military version of boot camp. They just were interrogated and such, but not run through the jungle and mud, etc etc... like the students were.

All in all, a troubling omen of things potentially to come.

PS -- the one thing not addressed at all in the AP article is, did any of the students summoned refuse to go?

[stickylies]

File under: Fascism.

[tominbkk]

Next up, public executions.

Este es su pared.

[Jim walker]

disciplinary punishment known as "attitude adjustment." Same as they have in North Korea what wonderful forward thinking from the Thai junta rulers get a bit of practice in with the children first. Dont teach them the basic rules rather shout and march them into submission.

[dcpo]

Wait, so to teach them not to publicly humiliate others in the name of 'hazing' they're taken off to a camp and publicly humiliated in the name 'attitude adjustment'. Lord what a shitty system!

[Gandtee]

My grandson recently posted a picture of himself on Facebook, pretending to clutch the testicles of a Robotic statue in Ripley's. Ill advised to post it, but the sort of prank that fourteen year old boys get up to. Does this mean a trip to boot camp and Attitude Adjustment? Shades of Chairman Mao. Not to mention George Orwell's' subject matter. I daren't mention the book. Although I think I am too old for attitude adjustment

Edited October 5, 2015 by Gandtee

[NeilSA1]

page not unnerstan.

They were punished for hazing or for dirty dancing?

Neither. They were punished for sharing a their video on social media.