The Royal Thai Army has initiated an investigation after a video emerged on social media of a soldier being violently beaten by his supervisors.
On 18 November 2016, a video clip of a soldier being repeatedly beaten by his supervisors was widely shared on Thai social media. In the video, the soldier was hit hard with rods and kicked in the head. A supervisor is heard warning him not to express pain and threatening to restart the punishment if he does so. Surrounding soldiers also participated in the punishment. Some jeered at the soldier being beaten, shouting “go home” and “just quit.”
After the video clip went viral, the Royal Thai Army’s spokesman Col Winthai Suvaree identified the soldiers in the video as from the Cavalry Centre and the punishment was delivered during a training session. The Army has already begun an investigation into the matter, Khaosod reported.
The spokesperson added that staff in this special unit require physical and mental strength, so their training is relatively tough. Still, the ill-treatment in the video clip is obviously a disciplinary offence. If found guilty, the supervisors will be severely punished.
“The army commander has strongly urged all units to avoid all kinds of ill-treatment. If ill-treatment is detected, disciplinary punishment will certainly be imposed,” said Winthai.
The soldier is beaten by a supervisor (Photo from Khaosod)
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