Every April in Thailand, young people participate in a lottery to decide whether they will be forced to serve in the military. If he draws a red card, he will be drafted for up to two years. A black card means you are exempt.
when it happened Netiwit Chotifatfaisal This month, it was his turn to draw a card, but he protested and refused, which is unusual for a conscientious objector. If indicted, he is thought to be the first person in Thailand to be jailed for evading conscription through civil disobedience. The crime carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
“I’m very anxious. When I sleep, I think about whether I have to go to prison or not. I’m going to lose a lot. I already have a business. I’m going to lose everything.” said Netiwit, 27. observer. But he added, “I think someone has to do this to show that we have a problem.”
Netiwit said the system is outdated, ineffective and disproportionately affects the poorest people who are least fortunate to find ways to avoid the draft. It was also part of a broader system that undermined the country’s democracy, he said.
The prominent activist first spoke out against military service as a teenager after the military seized power in a 2014 coup. Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former coup leader who later became prime minister, stepped down last year. His party suffered a humiliating defeat in the election.
Netiwit said military service is “brainwashing people.” “I think military service is one of the reasons why our country is dominated by the military.”
In last year’s election, the youth reform-promoting party “Forward” won the most votes, but it was overthrown by military-appointed senators and replaced by former leader Thaksin Shinawatra’s party “Thai Contribution Party.” A coalition government was formed with these parties. A former enemy of the pro-military party.
Panuwat Panduprasert, a political science professor at Chiang Mai University, said the concept of conscientious objectors is relatively new in Thailand. This is also because older generations are less likely to perceive the obligation as a violation of their rights, or because they are less likely to want to risk protesting against the military, he said. Stated. There are also many legal and illegal ways for people to avoid military service if they have the means.
One of the most common options is to take a military training course one day a week during your secondary education. However, this option is not available to all students. “[Students] They have to take a qualifying exam,” Panuwat said. “In reality, the system turns out to be biased against students from prestigious schools.”
You may also be exempted for medical reasons or if you become a monk of a certain rank. Some use illegal means such as bribery.
Netiwit said the system disadvantaged the poorest people, and those forced into service lost jobs and career opportunities. Previous research by Amnesty International has found evidence that: New conscripts face violence, humiliation and sexual assault, LGBT conscripts are particularly vulnerable. High-profile deaths at training camps have also raised questions about their treatment.
Eight military personnel were jailed last year for misconduct and negligence after conscripts were tortured and killed in 2011.
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Defense Minister Sutin Krungsan said such incidents are rare, but they add to the pressure for reform. Last month, the hashtag “End Forced Conscription” quickly spread on social media after Move Forward MP Tisana Chunhaban called on the military to investigate the suicide of a conscript she previously worked as an assistant. Ta. Before her death, he told her he was stressed and had been ordered to clean the floors and mow the lawn at her commander’s house. The military denied any link between his death and his treatment as a conscript.
A Navy conscript then posted a widely shared video about how he was ordered to do chores for his officers, including washing underwear, washing dishes, and putting away bottles of alcohol.
People used to be less likely to publicly criticize the military, Netiwit said. “People did not dare to speak [like] They do this in public because they think they will get in trouble. ” He noted that the mass youth-led protests of 2020 not only demanded reforms in the military, but also broke deeply rooted taboos and criticized the monarchy, adding that the situation has changed today.
