Private’s mother ‘satisfied’ with investigation of killing
The mother of an Army conscript who was recently killed has said she is happy with the progress of the investigation after nine soldiers were arrested and dismissed from the military in connection with the case.
Arrest warrants were issued on Wednesday for nine soldiers allegedly connected to the death of Private Yuthkinan Boonniam, who was found beaten to death while in detention at Vibhavadi Rangsit Military Camp in Surat Thani on Saturday.
Renu Mhodrakee, Yuthkinan’s mother, said police and the military had made rapid progress in the case leading to the identification and capture of the suspects. She added that she was satisfied with the investigation’s outcome.
Renu had vowed that she would not cremate her son’s body until the killers were arrested, but she said yesterday that the goal had been fulfilled and the family would cremate Yuthkinan’s body on Monday.
The commander of the 45th Military Circle, Maj-General Wichai Tassanamonthien, said all of the soldiers named in the arrest warrants had already been captured and dismissed from the military.
Wichai also said that he had ordered a staff rotation at the military camp’s prison to facilitate the police investigation and make it more transparent.
Pol Maj-General Apichart Bunsrirote, commander of the Surat Thani provincial police, said the investigation team was interrogating more witnesses inside the military prison and more arrest warrants might be issued.
Regarding the motive for the killing, police said they suspected that it was because of a personal conflict between Yuthkinan and other soldiers, which matched Renu’s claim that Yuthkinan had been in an argument with one of the soldiers.
Meanwhile, it has come to light that a male inmate at Takua Pa Prison in Phang Nga province, Suriya Supalak, 47, was found beaten to death on the same day as Yuthkinan’s death was discovered. However, there has not been an investigation of Suriya’s death.
Suriya’s brother, Weerayut Supalak, said prison officials had told the family that Suriya fainted and later died, but when they saw his body, many bruises and cuts were visible.
“The body has been examined at a forensic science centre in Surat Thani, which found severe injuries including internal organ damage, fractured ribs, a severe liver injury and bruises from blunt weapons, so we are sure that my brother was beaten to death,” Weerayut said.
The family has said they will not cremate his body until they receive justice and the offenders, who they believe to be more than two persons, are punished.