+ A
A -
DPA
Bangkok
A leaked video of a Thai military sergeant violently caning a recruit continued to cause uproar Sunday, shining a spotlight on training methods employed by Thailand's military.
The filmed incident shows a drill sergeant in the country's central Saraburi province using wooden sticks to hit a 21-year-old soldier multiple times on the head and the back, while another kicked him with combat boots.
The video was leaked to the public and has been uploaded to online video platform YouTube. Military spokesman Winthai Suvaree said Friday that further action would be taken to investigate the filmed incident.
"Once the investigation is concluded, the said member of the armed force will definitely be handed a severe punishment," he told reporters, the Khaosod newspaper said.
Earlier this year two young soldiers died from mistreatment from their army superiors.
In April, a 23-year-old Thai soldier was beaten to death by drill sergeants, while in June, a 21-year-old soldier died of heatstroke after he was punished for not finishing his work on time.
The junta had promised to make torture a criminal offense under Thai laws but so far the government has failed to prosecute any military personnel successfully, Thailand's National Human Rights Commissioner Angkana Neelapaijit told dpa.
"The secrecy around the military setting makes it even harder for an investigation process to take place, as all witnesses are soldiers," Neelapaijit said.
"Unfortunately, Thai society is used to using violence to achieve things."
