The Thai Army is once again mired in controversy after a series of young cadets were found dead while undergoing military training. Making the situation worse, in the latest case, the niece of a dead cadet was charged for damaging the reputation of the army when she tried to reveal the brutalities that had been going on inside the barracks.
Last week, Naritsarawan Kaewnopparat, currently an officer working for children's social welfare, was arrested for defaming the army through her Facebook writings. She accused the military of protecting "certain peoples" in the army who were responsible for the violent murder of her uncle, Wichian Puaksom, who died in the army camp in June 2011. Though she was subsequently released on bail, the case against her remains and she has exposed what is a wider problem in Thailand.
Wichian volunteered to serve in the army and was stationed in Narathiwat province in Thailand's deep south. He was caught running away from the training and, according to Naritsarawan, was tortured to death. Found guilty of abandoning his duty, he was slapped in the face several times and dragged on concrete floors naked. His body and face were struck by several higher ranked soldiers, who also stomped on his neck, stabbed his upper legs with bamboo poles and kicked him in the testicles.
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