Rehab officials 'killed youth'
Some 200 youths broke out of a drug rehabilitation centre in Krabi's Muang district yesterday, claiming that officials had beaten one inmate to death and badly injured others.
The youths, aged 15-25, broke out of the centre in the Khlong Kham Pondok compound in Tambon Khlong Prasong and gathered at a multipurpose building at the nearby Ban Koh Khlang Mosque.
They claimed the breakout was done to protest at officials’ heavy handling of an earlier escape by four youths. They said the four escaped from the centre but were recaptured. One was allegedly beaten to death, and another seriously injured and admitted to Krabi Hospital, the youths claimed.
Muang Krabi clerk Sopon Suwankharat said there was a previous report of a death and an injury at Khlong Kham Pondok, but police had to investigate what really happened first. He said that if the youths no longer wanted to stay at the pondok, the officials would contact their parents to take them home.
