Latest news with #MilitaryCourt
Bangkok Post
a day ago
- Bangkok Post
Army culture of impunity
The Military Court delivered a ruling yesterday over a fatal assault at a cadet school in 2017. Despite the verdict finding the defendants guilty of assaulting the young cadet, it is unlikely to deter a culture of hazing and impunity within the Thai military. The judges found the defendants -- two senior cadet students -- guilty of causing the death of freshman cadet Pakapong "Moei" Tanyakan on Aug 27, 2017, at a cadet school in Nakhon Nayok province. Both were given four months and 16 days imprisonment. Each must also pay a fine of 15,000 baht. As the court found that the defendants did not have criminal records, they were also each given a two-year suspended jail term and allowed to continue serving in the army. The lenient ruling has alarmed Thai society, which has witnessed a series of brutal physical assaults and Spartan treatment in army units. The case of Pakapong has once again shed light on the culture of impunity and systematic cover-ups within the armed forces. To begin with, the lawsuit would not have occurred without Pakapong's family's fighting spirit. Following his death, the army was quick to tell them he died because he suffered cardiac failure. The case would have been closed if the family believed what the top brass told them. Society is fortunate that they did not. The family secretly removed his body from a cremation ceremony at a temple on Oct 24, 2017, to undergo an autopsy at the Central Institute of Forensic Science under the Ministry of Justice. The family was reportedly shocked when they learnt Pakapong's internal organs -- his heart, kidneys, brain, spleen and lungs had been removed from his body. The autopsy also found bleeding around the collarbone and bruises on the left torso and a broken rib, which was unlikely to be caused by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). An initial autopsy performed by the army said CPR caused all the bruises. The verdict in the case also raises the question of whether military courts are a suitable venue for handling criminal cases involving soldiers. Indeed, there are proposals from lawmakers to move serious criminal cases, such as threats to national security and serious homicides in military camps, to be handled in civilian courts. This case follows the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in May, giving 10-20 years jail terms to two army trainers and 11 conscripts found guilty of beating 18-year-old conscript Vorapraj Padmaskul to death last year. This case was the first time that victims used the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act 2022 to handle all torture cases committed by security personnel. This lawsuit was also the first time that security personnel were given hefty jail terms, raising hopes that the military will act tough on the use of force within its ranks. However, it is regrettable that just two months later, the military court handed down a sentence that is hardly commensurate with the crime. Such half-baked justice will only continue to foster a culture of impunity in the army.
LBCI
16-02-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Hezbollah-led protests, Iranian flights issue fuel political tension: Will diplomacy or street action decide the outcome?
Report by Petra Abou Haydar, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian The Lebanese state prioritized the safety of its citizens amid concerns over airport security and the backlash from a segment of the population, along with the security incidents that followed. The outcome was expected, with an attempt to understand and accommodate the reactions—albeit to a certain extent. This became clear during the protest called by Hezbollah on Saturday along the airport road in response to the decision to prevent Iranian planes from landing at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport and the Israeli "intervention" in that decision. The protest began peacefully but did not remain that way. What exactly happened? Security sources say prior coordination took place with the Lebanese army to prevent blocking the road leading to the airport. However, during MP Mahmoud Qamati's speech, around 10 young men from the Al-Zaiter family, standing behind the podium, cut the main road, attacked military vehicles, and provoked soldiers with offensive slogans. In response, the army fired tear gas, leading to a chaotic scene before the protest concluded. The army cleared the road and is now searching for the young men who have gone into hiding. Meanwhile, informed sources acknowledged that the tear gas used against protesters not involved in the disturbance may not have been entirely necessary. However, Hezbollah issued a statement condemning the events as an unjustified attack on peaceful citizens, accusing those responsible of attempting to provoke the army into a confrontation with its own people. While the army continues to search for the perpetrators, investigations by the military intelligence, under the supervision of Military Court's Government Commissioner Judge Fadi Akiki, are ongoing regarding an attack on Friday on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicles. More than 25 individuals have been arrested in connection with the protest along the airport road. So far, the identity of only one direct perpetrator has been confirmed, and the search continues for the others. Reports state that the Deputy Commander of UNIFIL testified before Judge Akiki that the vehicle fire occurred after protesters threw an incendiary substance at it. The recent events could recur unless a resolution is found regarding Iranian flights. What's the latest on the matter? As of now, Middle East Airlines (MEA) has not received approval from Iranian aviation authorities to allow two of its planes to land in Tehran and return stranded Lebanese citizens to Lebanon. The Lebanese ambassador in Tehran has sent multiple letters to Iranian aviation authorities through the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but no response has been received. Meanwhile, communication continues between the Lebanese and Iranian foreign ministers. A small meeting is scheduled for Monday between the ministers of foreign affairs, public works, and defense to discuss a solution. In the meantime, Lebanon's ambassador to Iran is attempting to persuade the 150 Lebanese citizens stranded in Tehran to travel to Iraq and then return to Lebanon via Middle East Airlines, which has expressed its willingness to organize a flight to Baghdad for this purpose.
