Unrest, fights disrupt two prison centres
Sixteen Pathum Thani prison inmates, mostly with head wounds, were taken to Pathum Thani Hospital yesterday after a brawl.
Prison deputy director Danai Yoopaniad said the prisoners had fought each other in a morning riot before guards intervened. Another argument among the brawl ringleaders led to more fighting in the afternoon, and more injuries, he said. The inmates who caused the fight would be sent to other prisons to prevent a re-occurrence, he added.
At the Trang Observation and Protection Centre, 30 youths burned and vandalised their sleeping quarters on Tuesday night after a staff member intervened in another fight and allegedly hit some of the |rioters. There are 68 youths at the centre.
The disgruntled youths then set off a blaze but firefighters put out the flames in 10 minutes.
As the youths continued to boo and vandalise the facility, 30 police and local administrative officials arrived to control the situation.
The protest was resolved just after midnight after the centre director took up the youths’ demands – the protesting youths were to be pardoned; the centre would launch a probe against the staff member who allegedly assaulted the brawling youths; and the welfare of juveniles would be improved.