Editorial | Lessons to be learned from Thai mall massacre
- Killing of 29 people by crazed soldier calls for regulation of weapons ownership, enhanced security and better internet monitoring
The mass shootings in the United States and other countries where gun ownership is widespread are rare in Asia.
But in an era where the internet is accused of spreading the worst ideas, a soldier in Thailand has staged a copycat massacre of his own, taking the lives of 29 people and wounding dozens.
As in the killings last year at two mosques in New Zealand and a shopping centre in Texas, the gunman live-streamed his rampage on Facebook, again highlighting the need for better regulation of social media.
But a number of other issues have been raised, among them the Thai military’s failings and the importance of technology in dealing with crimes.
Jakkrapanth Thomma, 32, an army sergeant, stole the weapons he used from a military camp in the provincial city of Korat. He first shot dead his commanding officer and two others and then posted on Facebook a photograph of bullets and the message, “nobody can escape death”.
The gunman then inexplicably went to a shopping centre where during a 17-hour rampage and siege with security forces, he killed dozens more before being gunned down by marksmen. He live-streamed video of the shootings for several minutes before Facebook shut down his account.