Army: Activist monk who skipped draft faces court trial

Army: Activist monk who skipped draft faces court trial

Student activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal holds a sign denouncing the compulsory  military draft as ‘obsolete and unnecessary’ at a conscription unit at Wat Rat Phothong in Samut Prakan, where he went to seek student deferment of his military service, in 2017. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)
Student activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal holds a sign denouncing the compulsory military draft as ‘obsolete and unnecessary’ at a conscription unit at Wat Rat Phothong in Samut Prakan, where he went to seek student deferment of his military service, in 2017. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)

Activist-turned-monk Phra Netiwit Jaranasampanno will be questioned about his failure to report for military conscription, and faces a court trial and possible compulsory drafting into the army without the benefit of drawing a ballot, according to the army.

Maj Gen Sirichan Ngathong, deputy spokeswoman, said on Monday that the army would treat Phra Netiwit like the other men who failed to show up for the mandatory conscription process.

Within the next month, his district office would call him in for questioning about his absence.

If the district office finds that nothing prevented him from reporting, the matter would be referred to police and public prosecutors for legal action, which would include a court trial, Maj Gen Sirichan said.

If found guilty of evading conscription, and he passes physical examination, he would be drafted next year without  participating in a draw, the spokeswoman said.

Maj Gen Sirichan said the armed forces received good cooperation during the compulsory conscription process this year.

Phra Netiwit, 27, had used up his rights to postpone conscription over recent years and was required to participate in the draw in Samut Prakan province on Sunday, she said.

He failed to do so and his hand written letter was posted on the net on Sunday, presenting his reasons for being absent. One of them was his determination to oppose forced conscription.

Student activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal entered monkhood in July last year.

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