The army has denied an allegation of sexual harassment involving a number of soldiers being forced to masturbate at a military unit after a photo went viral on the internet.
The allegation relates to a photo showing a group of men in military uniform sitting on the floor in a room, with a caption saying 168 soldiers were ordered to masturbate before taking a bath. However, Maj Gen Amnat Srimak, deputy commander of the 3rd Army, denied the allegation, saying no such incident took place as claimed and the caption was false.
He said the photo was taken by a soldier during a meeting which was held to distribute uniforms to soldiers at a military unit attached to the 3rd Army which is responsible for overseeing security in the North.
Maj Gen Amnat said the soldier posted the photo on his Instagram account and wrote a caption that falsely describes the photo, which was shared on social media, drawing heavy criticism from netizens.
Maj Gen Amnat said the soldier was later called in for questioning and he admitted that the caption was intended as a joke and as a gimmick to grab social media attention.
He later posted a message on social media apologising for the caption and clear up the misunderstanding caused by the false description, Maj Gen Amnat said, adding that the soldier's superiors were instructed to consider disciplinary action against him.
Maj Gen Amnat said that the 3rd Army attaches importance to treating soldiers within its ranks with respect.