Army only concerned with its own image
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Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha allegedly told his daily meeting with senior officers that six army conscripts had group sex with an autistic woman, and that the incident was posted on the Internet.
Is the Army chief indignant that the mentally-impaired woman’s rights have probably been brutally violated – perhaps the same as if the conscripts had had consensual sex with an underage girl – and launched a vigorous investigation to uncover the truth and bring any culprits to justice?
Apparently not, for he’s not after the conscripts, but after those who posted photos of the incident on the Internet – for tarnishing the Army's image!
This man is one of the mightiest in the country, with the de facto power of life or death over any civilian, and yet he has no idea of human rights. No wonder he’s taken no steps to hold the generals of Krue Se (32 bodies), Tak Bai (73 bodies) and Nong Chik (4 bodies) accountable.
The message he’s sending is: The Army’s image is far more important than anybody’s rights.
Would Southerners view such people as saviours or occupiers? Is the Army part of the solution towards reconciliation – or a major part of the problem?
Burin Kantabutra
Bangkok
