South-East Asia – Page 1553

Charter-draft panel taking shape

On: December 24, 2023

PUBLISHED : 24 Dec 2023 at 07:12

The new constitution drafting assembly will comprise 77 provincial representatives and 23 other members who are experts and representatives from various groups, said the head of a sub-committee on rewriting the constitution on Saturday.

The government sub-committee is currently gathering public opinions on its proposal for rewriting the constitution.

The 23 members of the assembly include five public law experts, four experts in political science and public administration, and four members with a background in politics or charter drafting, said Nikorn Jamnong.

The rest represent various groups, with two representing children and youth organisations; two, women’s groups; two, organisations working on elderly rights and welfare; two to advocate for the rights of the disabled, and two promoting gender diversity, said Mr Nikorn.

After collecting opinions via multiple hearings, the sub-committee will on Monday submit its conclusion to the main constitution amendment committee. Opinions were drawn from students, professional and civic groups, and parliamentarians.

As for the number of referenda that will be organised on the charter amendment, three is the most common choice proposed in previous nationwide hearings, he said. The first referendum will be carried out before the charter amendment begins to find a conclusion on whether most of the public support the charter-mending proposal, while the other two will follow later, said Mr Nikorn.

“What is also important and needs to be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting of the main committee is how to keep the costs of organising all these public referenda as low as possible,’’ he said

The three referenda will cost approximately 9.6 billion baht, said Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a list-MP of the United Thai Nation Party, citing a previous estimate by the Election Commission. He suggested the government hold each referendum coinciding with a local election where possible, to help reduce costs.

Parit Wacharasindhu, spokesman for the Move Forward Party (MFP), meanwhile, affirmed the party’s stance that members of the assembly must come from an election, not via selection by parliament.

A quota of experts and group representatives could also be elected at the same time using three ballot papers — one for choosing the provincial representative, another for picking a representative in the expert group and the final one for electing a representative of the other various groups, said Mr Parit.

The MFP has proposed the government ask the public in a referendum also whether they want members of the drafting assembly to come from an election.

Cold snap, rain are likely over Christmas holiday: Met Dept

By: Barkar Nash

On: December 23, 2023

In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED : 24 Dec 2023 at 06:48

Cold and windy weather has been forecast across the country until Monday with temperatures in the northern and the northeastern regions expected to drop by 1–2 degrees Celcius.

In a warning covering Dec 23–25, the Meteorological Department said a cold front from China will blanket the upper part of the country resulting in cold and windy weather.

The temperature in the North and Northeast is forecast to fall by 1C–2C and temperatures on mountain tops in the North and the Northeast will be from 2C–10C and 5C–13C respectively.

However, heavy rain is forecast in the lower part of the southern region from Dec 23 until 25 due to a strong northeastern monsoon wind in the Gulf of Thailand.

Residents are being urged to brace themselves for possible flash floods and run-off.

More rain is also forecast for Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Trang and Satun on Sunday, and Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat throughout the day on Monday.

Interest from tourists remains strong at top tourist destinations in the northern and northeastern regions and is particularly lively on weekends especially as temperatures in some locations have dropped below 10C.

In the northeastern province of Loei, the temperature at Phu Rua National Park fell to 5C while that of Phu Kradueng dropped to 6C.

The temperatures in towns ranged between 9C and 10C.

In the northern province of Chiang Mai, conditions on Doi Inthanon, the country’s highest peak, in Chom Thong district dropped to 4C with frost, known locally as mae khaning, covering plants on the mountaintop.

Kiew Mae Pan, a popular place to view the renowned “sea of mist”, welcomed 3,566 visitors on Friday.

Meanwhile, Khao Yai National Park, which spans Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Ratchasima and Prachin Buri, will waive entrance fees for visitors on Dec 31 and Jan 1 as a New Year’s gift for the public, said park chief Chaiya Huayhongthong.

Thaksin case ‘above board’: PM

By: Barkar Nash

On: December 23, 2023

In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED : 24 Dec 2023 at 06:32

The Department of Corrections and the Police General Hospital complied with regulations in allowing convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to stay on at the hospital, says Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

The PM was responding to criticism of the department’s decision on Friday to permit Thaksin to continue receiving treatment at the Police General Hospital.

He was admitted on Aug 22, hours after returning from years of self-imposed exile overseas.

He spent a few hours at Bangkok Remand Prison before he was transferred to the hospital’s premium ward.

Mr Srettha also denied reports that a meeting with Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong at Government House on Friday concerned the ministry’s handling of the Thaksin’s case.

He said the pair discussed other issues, including the pork smuggling problem and Stark Corp scandal. The PM said he didn’t ask about the Thaksin case.

“I believe both the department and the hospital have their own regulations to follow when it comes to handling a sick inmate and they do just as they are required to do.

“I am confident they have complied with the regulations,’’ Mr Srettha said.

As for a new regulation allowing prisoners to serve their remaining jail term outside prison, which has drawn criticism that the Pheu Thai Party-led government is attempting to help Thaksin to avoid serving any sentence in jail at all, Mr Srettha said the regulation was proposed by the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration in 2017.

The Department of Corrections says it is merely issuing a regulation under a law which was already in place, and denies anything suspect about the timing.

Chaichana Detdacho, a Democrat Party MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat and chairman of the House committee on police affairs, meanwhile, shrugged off a remark by Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin of possible legal action.

He warned the House committee that it could face legal action if it forces its way into the premium ward on the 14th floor of the hospital to see if Thaksin is really there.

This warning came along with a remark by Winyat Chatmontree, Thaksin’s lawyer, who threatened to pursue a libel suit against any parties seeking to have Thaksin’s personal medical information exposed.

Mr Chaichana on Saturday affirmed the House committee’s plan to visit Thaksin at the hospital on Jan 12 to see if he really is there and sick enough to justify his extended stay at the hospital.

“I am not afraid of a lawsuit threat as I believe I am working in search of the truth most people are eager to know — if Thaksin is there at the hospital and seriously ill as claimed,’’ he said. The House committee has the authority to probe this matter, he said.

The committee is seeking written permission from the DoC to visit Thaksin and if the department doesn’t allow the visit, it would have to tell the public why, said Mr Chaichana.

Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, a Move Forward Party (MFP) list-MP, said in an X post that he wasn’t objecting to Thaksin being allowed to receive treatment outside prison for this long. However, he does expect the DoC to apply the regulations on inmates receiving treatment outside prison to every other eligible prisoner as well.

“There should be a clear norm which applies to all other prisoners too, to prevent a double standard in this particular practice,” said Mr Wiroj. “Thaksin deserves justice, not privileges.”

Thepthai Senpong, a former Democrat MP, who has served time in prison, said Thaksin’s lawyer was using a familiar tactic of silencing Thaksin’s critics by threatening to sue them.

Now it’s evident he is being treated differently from the more-than 400,000 other prisoners behind bars, people are within their rights to express their opinions and call for fairness for other inmates, said Mr Thepthai.

Vorachai Hema, an adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, said Thaksin’s critics held grudges against Thaksin.

Poor exam results put schools on the spot

By: Barkar Nash

On: December 23, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Thailand’s latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) scores, the lowest in more than two decades since the country joined the Pisa Assessment process in the early 2000s, are a wake-up call for stakeholders to help speed up improvement in the education system.

Thai students’ performance in maths, science and reading all slumped to their lowest levels.

In the 2022 tests by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 15-year-old Thai students scored 394 in maths (down from 419 in the 2018 assessment), 409 in science (down from 426) and 379 in reading (down from 393).

Thailand ranked 58th for maths and science and 64th for reading, which was the country’s worst performance since Thai students participated for the first time in Pisa in 2001.

The assessment covered 81 countries and economies with some 690,000 students taking the assessment in 2022, representing about 29 million 15-year-olds in the schools of the participating countries and economies.

In Thailand, 8,495 students in 279 schools completed the assessment in mathematics, reading or science, representing about 604,600 15-year-old students in the schools of the 81 participating countries and economies.

The assessments measure the knowledge and skills of students in three subjects and how well students can solve complex problems, think critically and communicate effectively. They present education authorities some challenges in how to improve the education system.

The Bangkok Post talked to several stakeholders about how education can be improved.

Pisa insights

Siripong Angkasakulkiat, assistant to Education Minister Pol Gen Permpoon Chidchob, said the results underscore the fact there is a wide learning gap in the country’s education system.

“The average scores of Thai students in the maths-science field enrolled in prestigious schools are higher than those of their peers in Singapore. But in the overall picture, our ranking is lower. That’s proof of the education divide that we need to tackle,” he said.

He said authorities should consider changing the way classes are conducted and focus on how to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving.

Students should be made familiar with the use of technology which is crucial to successful performance in Pisa tests, he said.

“These issues must be discussed and, if possible, changes ready for implementation before the next school year starts. Our students should excel in class and they must also be able to apply the knowledge in daily life,” he said.

He said the Education Council will meet tomorrow to pinpoint issues that need to be improved including various laws while the education minister’s team will focus on revamping the education system.

According to Mr Siripong, the teaching methods and the curriculum employed at Princess Chulabhorn Science High School, which is under the supervision of the Basic Education Commission, will be studied to determine if they can be used as a model or adapted at other schools.

Siripong: Tackle education divide

Princess Chulabhorn Science High School, also known as PCSHS, is the name given to a group of science-based co-education boarding schools established by the Ministry of Education to honour science-oriented Princess Chulabhorn in 1993.

PCSHS schools, of which there are 12 including institutions in Trang, Pathum Thani, Loei and Chon Buri, focus on developing the talents of students in grades 7-12 (secondary and high school students) in science, mathematics, technology, and the environment to support science and technology professionals in Thailand.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESRI) and the Bureau of Educational Testing will also be consulted on whether testing should focus more on analytical thinking and practical applications of knowledge alongside reading and writing skills.

He said the ministry has set both short-term and long-term goals. In the long term, it aims to improve overall standards after publicity of the Pisa results prompted questions about the quality of Thai education. In the short term, the ministry plans to use Princess Chulabhorn Science High School as a model.

Asked whether the Pisa scores are indicative of a crisis, he said standards are still high but so is disparity in the system due to factors including financial support differing teaching methods.

“Thai students are smart, given their performances in international academic competitions. But many children don’t have that opportunity,” he said.

He said Princess Chulabhorn Science High School has a network of affiliated schools, making it an ideal model in schools where indicators for success are clearly defined.

“By 2025, the results of Pisa tests must improve, but we have other indicators as well. Education management and access to technology might have lagged during the Covid-19 pandemic, but we will work on that,” he said.

Beyond 2025

Kraiyot Phatthrawat, manager of the Equitable Education Fund, said the Equitable Education Research Institute (EEFI) is studying data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for targeted interventions.

Based on the survey of more than 8,000 students, most Thai students are below Level 1, which is basic proficiency, in maths, reading and science. The percentages of students performing at advanced or exceptional levels are relatively low across all subjects.

In maths, 68.3% of the students are below Level 1 and only 1% of students are at advanced or exceptional levels. In reading, about 65.4% are below Level 1 and only 0.2% are advanced or exceptional levels. In science, about 53% of students are below Level 1 and only 0.6% are at advanced or exceptional levels.

“Our students win gold in the academic Olympics every year because we send the best who can compete internationally. But for every 100 students, we observe that only one student ranks among the best, while 70 students fall below the expected proficiency level,” he said.

Mr Kraiyot said the disparity would be even larger with a bigger sample size and this highlights the urgency for strategies to address the diverse range of student abilities and narrow the gap to align more closely with Pisa’s average scores.

A family’s finances do have a bearing on academic performance as shown by the results of the Pisa survey on the participants’ financial situation.

Among the wealthiest 25% of Thai students, the performance gap is narrow — 52% students passed the tests, while 48% failed.

However, among the poorest 25% of Thai students, the performance gap is substantial, with only 22.57% passing the tests.

However, despite economic disadvantages, 260 students showed outstanding performance in the Pisa survey. The scores of this group in the three subjects are higher than the average score of the wealthiest 25% of Thai students.

This group of “high-achieving, low-income” students usually leaves the education system to enter the workforce directly instead of pursuing higher education, he said, adding state agencies must recognise their potential and provide them with opportunities.

Growth mindset

According to Mr Kraiyot, “high-achieving, low-income” students have what is known as a growth mindset characterised by resilience and confidence in tackling challenges.

The mindset comprises the elements of optimism, compassion, enthusiasm, discipline and curiosity and instilling it in other children can enhance their performance and achievement, he said.

He said families and schools will have to work together to cultivate these qualities in children so they are better equipped to solve problems and excel in learning.

One finding in the Pisa assessment is that students feel they spend considerable time on learning activities but do not think they have accomplished much and feel detached from the school community.

The Equitable Education Fund has adopted for trial use the Platform for Innovative Learning Assessments (Pila) which allows students to engage interactively and make corrections during tests, he said.

As well as assessing the knowledge and skills of students, Pila can also gauge if they have patience and confidence, which are indicators of a growth mindset, he added.

Kraiyot: ‘Growth mindset’ is key

Parental voices

Narong Norpan, a father of two children, stressed an urgent need to address education disparity, saying that as long as private and public schools employ different teaching methods and have varying resources, the gap in education standards will remain.

“The wealthy families have the option to enrol their kids in elite schools while the poor don’t have choices. The children from poor families may lag despite potential. So the government must invest in education and human development,” he said.

Chuenkamol Jiansuwan, the mother of a second-year university student, said many schools focus on rote learning so students can succeed in entrance examinations.

“The competitive environment and varying education standards force students to go to tutorial schools from a young age. If the government can close the gap, I think we can enhance our children’s performance,” she said.

Mr Kraiyot said a big portion of the funds is allocated to fixed expenses, with less than 10% dedicated to teaching development.

Quoting teachers, he said Pisa test results provide only a partial perspective and education authorities should also figure out ways to inspire students to engage in learning and pursue their interests.

Govt ‘solves’ 233 cases of informal debt: PM

By: Barkar Nash

On: December 23, 2023

In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED : 24 Dec 2023 at 05:58

The government claims it has solved the informal debts of 233 registered debtors while Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Saturday went to observe a debt-solving model in Nan.

According to government spokesman Chai Wacharonke, data from the Interior Ministry shows 106,863 debtors have registered with the government as it strives to solve informal debt problems.

Recent data showed a combined informal debt value worth 6.69 billion baht, with 77,525 informal loan lenders. The highest number of registered debtors was in Bangkok at 6,734, with a combined debt value of 566 million baht and 5,749 lenders.

Mae Hong Son has the lowest number of registered debtors at 151, with a combined debt value of 6.62 million baht and 117 lenders.

Mr Chai said that 1,445 debtors have entered the negotiation process, 233 of whom reached an agreement with lenders, leading to a drop from 144 million baht to 46.5 million baht in debt value.

“This is progress made so far in resolving informal debts. I urge remaining informal debtors to register with the government so we can help,” said Mr Chai.

The government hopes to help prevent debtors nationwide from paying at least 100 billion baht a year to loan sharks.

Meanwhile, the premier went to Nan on Saturday to follow up on progress of the debt programme. He urged state agencies to take action on the matter as it is a serious problem hurting the economy. As of Saturday, 563 informal debtors in Nan have registered for the programme, with a combined debt value of 33 million baht and 518 lenders.

So far, 52 debtors are in the negotiation process and four have reduced their debts. Most people were found to have borrowed money for buying consumption products, investments, house renovation, tuition fees and gambling.

This 5-year-old is training to be the youngest Singaporean to reach Everest base camp

By: Marcus Ching

On: December 23, 2023

In: South-East Asia

One complication of training a kindergartener is that it can’t be too intense, said Mr Zikri.

“We can’t go too fast, and I need to tone down the intensity for him so that it’s still fun for him … (so the challenge is) keeping it fun for him and getting him to stay motivated.”

Ms Lwin Tun said that there are times when the parents set the pace for Abyan, but there are also days when his father asks the boy what he wants to do.

“Actually he’s a very driven child,” she said. “Sometimes he surprises us, like we say three times is enough, but he does, I want to do (the slope) one more time, can I do it one more time? And we’re like, are you sure?”

They have also received some backlash from others who think they are “crazy” for attempting this, said the couple.

“When we share this news to people around us, clearly we get a lot of ‘lashes’. Are you sure you want to do this with a five-year-old? Are you crazy – even adults may not handle it very well,” said Ms Lwin Tun.

“Me and Zikri, we are quite aligned, thankfully, in that sense. So we want to try and Abyan wants to try … I think support your child, mitigate the risk as much as possible, if they have an interest like climbing.”

On Saturday morning, after climbing 101 floors at Skyville@Dawson, Abyan went on to play with monkey bars and the balance beam at the fitness corner – barely pausing to take a drink and have a lollipop.

When asked if he was sure whether he could reach Everest Base Camp, he said “yes”. And what will he do on the mountain?

“I want to play with the snow … and build a snowman,” said the five-year-old. “I will bring a carrot to be the nose.”

Commentary: Four years in, why are some people hesitant about COVID-19 vaccine boosters?

By: Marcus Ching

On: December 23, 2023

In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: I felt something akin to nostalgia when I visited the Joint Testing and Vaccination Centre at Kaki Bukit last week to get a COVID-19 booster jab.

This was the location where, almost exactly a year ago, I received my last booster. And while the COVID-19 landscape in Singapore has changed in the ensuing 12 months, nearly everything at the centre was reassuringly familiar.

There were the very friendly members of staff helping to guide people quickly and efficiently through the process, from registration to injection to observation.

Just like the last time, a small, circular sticker was issued to indicate which vaccine each person had elected to get – green for Pfizer, yellow for Moderna (having been a Moderna man before, I decided to mix it up a little by asking for the Pfizer jab). And there was the handing over of the leaflet telling me to limit physical activity for the next couple of weeks.

In fact, the only thing that differed from my last visit was that there weren’t many people getting their jabs. In the observation room, I was one of three people.

A year ago, the place was busy enough for there to be slight pauses at each stage of the process as the staff worked their way through the steady stream of people wanting to get protected.

This time round, I walked through the process very quickly, being dealt with immediately at every stage. Admittedly, this was on an early Friday evening, which is perhaps a time when many people were out and about doing other things.

Nonetheless, I expected the centre to be busier. With Singapore experiencing a spike in COVID-19 infections and with declining resistance cited as one of the reasons for this, I thought that many people would have used that as a prompt to get up to date with their vaccinations.

The estimated number of COVID-19 infection cases for the week of Dec 10 to Dec 16 was the highest recorded for the year, with 58,300 cases for epi-week 50, up from the previous record of 56,043 cases in the preceding week.

A total of 965 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals in the same week, up from 763 the previous week.

No bail for trio in foiled murder plot

By: Barkar Nash

On: December 23, 2023

In: South-East Asia

CSD cites severity of the crime

The Criminal Court has denied bail for a Taiwanese businessman and two Thai suspects — a retired navy officer and a former navy Seal — arrested in connection with a foiled murder plot linked to a business conflict.

The three men were taken to the Bangkok Remand Prison following their appearance in court yesterday.

Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers took Feng-Hao Chang, 68, to court along with Rear Adm Prakaipruek Srifa, 64, and Tewarat Mangkorn, 66, to seek approval to detain them pending a further investigation.

Under the law, criminal suspects can be detained for up to seven 12-day periods, or 84 days in total, before police must press charges or release them.

The suspects were arrested separately in Bangkok on Friday on warrants issued by the Criminal Court on charges of hiring others to commit murder.

The trio had been accused of colluding in a plot to kill Mr Chang’s wife, his son and a lawyer over alleged business conflicts in an electronic equipment exporting company worth over 1 billion baht, said police.

Rear Adm Prakaipruek was an adviser to Mr Chang’s company.

The CSD investigators opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the crime and the severe penalties. The officers feared the suspects, if released, might interfere with evidence.

While being transported to the court, the suspects appeared exhausted following intense questioning overnight.

During questioning, only Mr Chang gave useful statements to the case while the Thai duo denied any involvement, according to police sources.

The arrests were made during raids on Friday at eight locations in Chon Buri and Bangkok.

Mr Chang’s son James, 29, filed a complaint with CSD police in November that he was being monitored continuously and was worried for his safety.

He told the officers that he had had a dispute with his father, whom he suspected of embezzling from the electronic equipment firm controlled by the family.

Mr Chang and his son have filed a number of lawsuits against each other since 2022, resulting in at least 20 cases demanding the removal of each other from the firm’s board of directors.

CSD investigators subsequently arrested three gunmen, who reportedly confessed that Tewarat had hired them to kill James Chang, his mother and his lawyer.

Reports say Rear Adm Prakaipruek had asked Tewarat to hire hitmen for 1.5 million baht to carry out the murders.

Tewarat, a former navy captain, was an expert in weapons and explosives. He was stripped of his rank after being jailed for killing a police officer in Mae Sot, Tak in 2006. He was released recently after serving his term.

Rear Adm Prakaipruek and Tewarat were former classmates at the Royal Thai Naval Academy.

The investigation is being extended to find out whether there were others involved in the murder plot, said Pol Col Wiwat Jitsophakul, chief of CSD sub-division 2.

So far, there are only the three suspects, he said, as the hitmen arrested earlier were now being treated as witnesses.

Though the suspects have denied the charges, officers were confident in the evidence they had gathered, he added.

‘Hallucinating’ man charged after vandalising stupa with a hammer

By: Barkar Nash

On: December 23, 2023

In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED : 24 Dec 2023 at 04:00

Chiang Mai: A 36-year-old man has been arrested and charged with vandalising a stupa which houses the bones of Chao Inthawichayanon, the seventh ruler of Chiang Mai, at Wat Suan Dok on Friday evening, police said on Saturday.

The suspect, identified as Thanadol, a native of Lamphun, was detained about 7pm after he smashed a tablet on the stupa with a hammer and tried to break inside, according to Chiangmainews.co.th.

Thanadol, who had a hammer and a knife, appeared to be hallucinating when he was approached by a temple official investigating the noise.

He claimed to be a reincarnation of Chao Inthawichayanon and said he had been “told” to retrieve the bones from the stupa, police said.

Yiam Kawilawes, the temple official who called police to the scene, said the man sneaked into the compound while monks were carrying out their evening prayers. However, the noise tipped off the monks who told him to make an inspection.

Mr Yiam said he caught Mr Thanadol smashing part of the stupa when he arrived. When he asked the intruder what he was doing, the man said: “I was told to retrieve a box inside.”

As the trespasser had a hammer and a knife, Mr Yiam decided to call police and chatted with the man to distract him as he waited for officers to arrive.

The suspect was taken to Phuping Rajanivej station for questioning and was taken for a crime re-enactment on Saturday morning. He was initially charged with causing property damage and trespassing at night.

Army told to probe attempted rape complaint

By: Barkar Nash

On: December 23, 2023

In: South-East Asia

After reporting incident to superior, ranger who had served 8 years in Deep South was asked to resign

Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang has instructed the army to launch a fact-finding investigation into allegations made by a female ranger that a soldier tried to rape her in Phitsanulok.

Social media activist Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, alias Gun Jompalang, on Friday brought the 28-year-old victim to Royal Thai Army Headquarters to seek help from officials there.

Mr Guntouch said the incident happened on the night of Nov 24 in a house on army property in Phitsanulok.

The victim, who has been suffering from depression after serving in the army in the Deep South for almost eight years, was alone in the house of her husband.

On the night in question, a senior soldier, whom she knew served under her husband, broke into the house. She suspected he was drunk when he said he had come to bid farewell before being transferred to another province.

He pulled her in to hug and kiss him and then attempted to rape her, according to Mr Guntouch. She pulled herself away and grabbed a knife to protect herself while ordering him to get out of the house.

“I was so scared. He snatched the knife from my hand before handing it back to me while telling me to stab him in the chest,” she said.

She finally managed to escape from the house and shouted for help, but no one heard her.

She rode off on her scooter and later came home and locked herself inside the house. However, the suspect returned and stayed in front of her house while calling her on her mobile phone dozens of times.

She told investigators she was experiencing severe panic before a soldier finally arrived at the house after being informed by her husband about the situation.

Subsequently, she filed a report with her unit. However, she did not receive any help as the unit informed her that it was a personal matter. She also filed a complaint with the unit the soldier was attached to, but no progress was made.

Finally, she reported the incident via an army mobile application on Dec 12. However, instead of getting help, her superior handed her a resignation form and advised her to leave the army on Dec 15.

She subsequently wrote a suicide note before attempting to hang herself. Fortunately, her husband arrived home in time to rescue her.

Mr Guntouch said the victim had served on the southern border to protect people for many years, and being asked to resign was no reward.

In response, Mr Sutin insisted he would look into the problem, while the army said that soldiers should not close ranks to protect suspects in sexual assault cases.

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