Funeral held for Thai cadet whose organs were inexplicably removed, triggering army abuse scandal
Thailand’s military, which has ruled the country since a coup in 2014, has been dogged by allegations of trainee abuse and at least three fatalities have been reported this year
A Thai army recruit whose death captured national attention after his organs were removed in mysterious circumstances showed signs of being physically assaulted, his family said on Sunday, citing the results of an autopsy ahead of the teenager’s funeral.
The army said 18-year-old Pakapong Tanyakan died of heart failure at a training school outside Bangkok in October.
But his family – sceptical of the official cause of death – commissioned their own examination only to discover that Pakapong’s brain, heart, bladder and stomach were missing, a dark twist that only intensified allegations of a cover-up, ignited public anger and turned the case into national news.
Supicha Tanyakan, Pakapong’s sister, said a second autopsy by the Central Institute of Forensic Science concluded he was physically assaulted because “internal bruising was found”.
The autopsy also suggested his broken ribs were not the result of vigorous first aid, she said.
The new findings added to mounting pressure on the country’s military to explain what happened to the first-year cadet, with his case raising concerns about the treatment of new conscripts.
This afternoon we will cremate his body. It’s time that we put his body to rest