Dead soldier’s parents want answers after disturbing autopsy results

THE mysterious death of a young army cadet in Thailand pushed his family to have a secret autopsy done. What they uncovered about has left them shocked and asking questions.

A SOLDIER’S mysterious death and the removal of vital organs from his body including his brain and heart has left his angry family asking hard questions.

Phakhapong Tanyakan’s family were told the young cadet in Thailand died due to a sudden cardiac arrest on October 17.

However, the BBC reports his family started to become suspicious because Mr Tanyakan had previously described brutal treatment at the school.

They decided to have a secret autopsy done on their son because they did not trust the official version — which revealed bruises, broken ribs and many of his vital organs missing.

“It’s beyond words,” the young cadet’s father told BBC Thai. “This incident for us is similar to a boat capsizing. He drowned to death and left us adrift.”

The family said a second autopsy at a private clinic shows the brain, heart, stomach and bladder had been removed from Mr Tanyakan man’s body.

A family member told the Bangkok Post the young soldier’s brainpan in the skull was empty — filled only with tissue paper.

This has reportedly been strongly rebuffed by the Thai military.

Supreme Commander General Thanchaiyan Srisuwan told Nation TV the claim that Mr Tanyakan’s organs were missing was untrue.

Phakhapong Tanyakan’s family did not trust the military and arranged a private autopsy for their son. Picture: Supicha Tanyakarn

He said his parents had been told many times that the school had sent Mr Tanyakan body for an autopsy at Phra Mongkutklao Hospital, where a medical examiner had extracted small pieces of his organs for testing.

The youngster was a first year student at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School when he died.

His parents told the Bangkok Post, Mr Tanyakan reported he was often disciplined by a senior student at the military academy.

In one instance, the severity of the punishment caused his heart to stop beating briefly, his father told the paper.

Mr Tanyakan’s mother, Sukanya, also told the paper her son was once ordered to stand on his head on the floor of a toilet, with his feet up in the air, as a punishment. He had gone into shock and had needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Human Rights Watch says the Thai army needs to address torture and corporal punishment within its ranks. Source: AP.

The soldier’s family told the BBC they were not yet making allegations or accusations but wanted the military to investigate and explain the circumstances of his death.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international non-governmental organisation, says the Thai army needs to address corporal punishment and torture in its ranks.

It says the Thai government needed to launch a broader campaign to end the longstanding use of corporal punishment in the armed forces, including by prosecuting military commanders for serious offences by soldiers under their command.

The right group issued the statement after 22-year-old Private Yutthakinun Boonniam was pronounced dead in April.

The doctors stated that he suffered many injuries, including kidney damage, apparently from severe beatings.

“Another army conscript dies from an apparent beating, yet Thai leaders don’t seem interested in addressing the problem,” HRW Asia director, Brad Adams said.

“The government and the military should urgently act to end these brutal assaults and the culture of impunity that has meant no punishment for abusive soldiers and the officers ultimately responsible.”