Family decides not to hold cremation for army corporal



BANGKOK: -- The family of an army corporal who died of heat stroke after being forced to run under the scorching sun by his drill sergeant has decided not to cremate the victim until they have received fair treatment from the army.

The family earlier planned to hold the cremation ceremony on Thursday for Corporal Panya Ngernrien but decided to postpone the ritual indefinitely until his case was fairly treated, said Mr Boonparn Ngernrien, the victim’s father.

He said that members of the family were afraid that the cremation would destroy the body which is regarded as an important evidence.

Mr Boonparn said, prior to fatal incident, his son called him, informing that he would be promoted a sergeant major in the next couple of months and, after that, he would try to sit for a test to become an officer.

“He (Panya) asked me whether I can wait until he becomes an officer and I told him that he would wait. But then he suddenly died,” Mr Boonparn lamented.

Panya collapsed reportedly from heat stroke after he was made to run around the Surasee army camp in Kanchanaburi. He was initially sent to the camp’s hospital. But his condition did not improve and so he was transferred to Phra Mongkut hospital where he was hospitalized for over a week before he died on June 23.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/170325-2/


-- Thai PBS 2016-06-28

Holding the body for ransom of either an apology or money is starting to catch on.

Holding the body for ransom of either an apology or money is starting to catch on.

Disposing of a body before a thorough investigation would be tantamount to destroying evidence.

And why shouldn't they be compensated. Their son, that they invested years of time and care with a great future, gone.

Even if there is no negligence found, the family rightfully must be compensated, as their son was performing government duties at the time of his death.

If the Thai government can find no one to blame for the 17 children who died in the fire in Chiang Rai with clearly no duty of care shown then I don't like the families chances of a result.

Their only hope is a loss of face of the army.

One of the absolute basics a military officer needs to understand is responsibility; and not just to those senior to you. Loyalty is a two way street. Therefore, an officer is always responsible for the well being of those in his or her command. Military service is (or should be) a serious commitment and not some sort of twisted dress-up game. The officer (and I use the term loosely) in this case, failed miserably and failed contemptibly. His actions were criminal and if this were a proper military (instead of a thinly veiled criminal enterprise) he would be held fully accountable for this disgraceful dereliction of duty.

Goodbye and Godpeed Corporal Panya. You did your best and served your country proudly...but your country failed you.

Condolences to your family.

A thorough and professional autopsy of the deceased wouldn't require retention of the body as evidence.

However, a forensic autopsy would have to be done by an independent certified physician/technician as the current military government doesn't lend itself to much creditability or accountability in matters that might reflect badly on its reputation.

Apologies for the original spelling error. Correction added.

One of the absolute basics a military officer needs to understand is responsibility; and not just to those senior to you. Loyalty is a two way street. Therefore, an officer is always responsible for the well being of those in his or her command. Military service is (or should be) a serious commitment and not some sort of twisted dress-up game. The officer (and I use the term loosely) in this case, failed miserably and failed contemptibly. His actions were criminal and if this were a proper military (instead of a thinly veiled criminal enterprise) he would be held fully accountable for this disgraceful dereliction of duty.

Goodbye and Godspeed Corporal Panya. You did your best and served your country proudly...but your country failed you.

Condolences to your family.

Apologies for the original spelling error. Correction added.

One of the absolute basics a military officer needs to understand is responsibility; and not just to those senior to you. Loyalty is a two way street. Therefore, an officer is always responsible for the well being of those in his or her command. Military service is (or should be) a serious commitment and not some sort of twisted dress-up game. The officer (and I use the term loosely) in this case, failed miserably and failed contemptibly. His actions were criminal and if this were a proper military (instead of a thinly veiled criminal enterprise) he would be held fully accountable for this disgraceful dereliction of duty.

Goodbye and Godspeed Corporal Panya. You did your best and served your country proudly...but your country failed you.

Condolences to your family.

"Goodbye and Godspeed Corporal Panya. You did your best and served your country proudly...but your country failed you.

Condolences to your family."

Indeed they did fail, but face will prevail, unfortunately.