Cobras spared grisly fate

Cobras spared grisly fate

Animal cruelty complaint led to changes in Cobra Gold training, write Wassana Nanuam and Aekarach Sattaburuth

This file photo taken in February last year shows Thai and US troops taking part in a beach landing drill at Hat Yao in Chon Buri's Sattahip district as part of Cobra Gold. Apichart Jinakul
This file photo taken in February last year shows Thai and US troops taking part in a beach landing drill at Hat Yao in Chon Buri's Sattahip district as part of Cobra Gold. Apichart Jinakul

Jungle survival training, which was a highlight of the Thai-US joint military exercise Cobra Gold for some years, was not included in this year's exercise, following complaints of animal cruelty.

The most recent Cobra Gold finished on Aug 13. The exercises, which started in 1982, are a symbol of military unity as troops from Thailand's neighbouring countries are also invited to take part. It is the largest multinational military exercise in Southeast Asia.

In the jungle survival course, Thai troops would teach soldiers from the US and other countries how to catch a cobra, drink its blood and skin lizards for food when they have to survive in a forest.

But that aspect of the training ended this year after the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) lodged complaints of animal cruelty.

The complaint resulted in an agreement between the Thai and US troops not to release news and photos concerning the jungle survival component in last year's exercise.

This year, it ended up being scrapped altogether. "We agreed to stop that training to avoid the dramas," an army source said.

"Even before the exercise, there was criticism about why the US troops were allowed to enter the country during Covid-19," he said.

However, the source said the cancellation of the jungle survival course was to cope with the "current situation", not directly because of pressure from Peta.

"Our practice is to adapt to survive in the jungle. We will no longer have to involve animal cruelty because we understand people's feelings," the source said.

Over the past 10 years, the number of US army personnel participating in the Cobra Gold exercise has fallen from 10,000 to around 6-7,000 each year in a "heavy" training year, and 4,000 in "light" years.

However, the number fell further to just 600 participants this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

All participants were fully vaccinated and quarantined before travelling to Thailand. The US troops arrived gradually from July 12.

However, the amphibious landing exercise, normally set at Sattahip beach in Chon Buri, was cancelled. There was a separate field training exercise between the units instead.

The training was divided into various groups. During July 12 to Aug 12, the "social aid" group joined a tabletop exercise for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) in Rayong.

Between Aug 2 and Aug 13, land and marine exercises were conducted in Chiang Mai, Lop Buri, Krabi and Rayong, followed by a landmine exercise in Surin.

Annual public service activities in villages were reduced in scale with soldiers helping build a local school. Construction began in mid-July, in Sa Kaeo.

If Cobra Gold is to benefit the US army, its troops must get accustomed to the landscape in this part of the world. In terms of topography, Thailand is similar to Vietnam.

The US' loss in the Vietnam War encouraged the US to participate in the joint exercise in order to get its troops accustomed to the region's jungle and weather.

However, Thai authorities noted many US troops suffered heat strokes during the exercise, due to the region's hot and humid conditions. In light of this, 15 years ago, the training schedule was changed to begin in February instead of April.

This year, as the exercise was delayed due to the pandemic, it took place during the peak of the rainy season.

Meanwhile, Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist and lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, said moves to tighten relations between Thailand and the US have yet to intensify during Covid-19.

Thailand will take on the rotating chairmanship of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) this year, which might be a chance to strengthen bilateral relations, Mr Panitan said.

"I personally believe the Democratic Party in the US has kept its distance from Thailand as they think we are not a true democracy. However, we observe democracy in our own way, albeit with different ideals," he said.

That said, while the US is focusing instead on improving relations with other allies, Thailand still remains in the US' good stead.

"The US believes Vietnam might serve as a bridge to China, while Singapore might be a regional leader as its economy will rebound first," he said.

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