Bullying or just desserts? Court of social media divided on child thieves' temple punishment

[webfact]

Bullying or just desserts? Court of social media divided on child thieves' temple punishment

 

Picture: Mem Pho Dam

 

Pictures posted online showed two children being tied to a tree and flogged.

 

They had apparently stolen 200 baht at a temple called Wat Thung Hiang.

 

Thai Rath said society was being asked whether this kind of punishment was acceptable or just bullying by adults.

 

And would the children learn from their mistake or be left resentful?

 

 

The pictures appeared on popular page Mem Pho Dam where thousands of Thais left their divided opinions, said Thai Rath.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-03-19

[lovelomsak]

Stealing from a church or wat is about as low as you can go as a common thief.

 Spare  the rod spoil the child.

[mok199]

...I can only speak for myself, and if it were my boy , I would be in the middle taking the beating with him...because someone is failing these boys on a huge level...

[worgeordie]

While those controlling the finances of the Temples...............

regards Worgeordie

[Bluespunk]

26 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

Thai Rath said society was being asked whether this kind of punishment was acceptable or just bullying by adults.

It’s neither. 

 

It’s violent, criminal assault. 

 

Gaol those responsible. 

[z42]

Err what? This is barbaric, they deserve a telling off sure, but at the end of the day they're just kids who have not been mentored vety well (if at all).

 

Now if it were that <deleted> of a woman who robbed 80 million baht from the poor tied to the tree i'd be all for some harsh beatings, and sell tickets for the occasion too.

[scorecard]

35 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

It’s neither. 

 

It’s violent, criminal assault. 

 

Gaol those responsible. 

 

Those elected appointed to senior positions should be actively promoting:

 

- Creation of appropriate and just laws, and appropriate and fair punishments

- Investigation by a vehicle which comes from the foundations laid in the constitution of Thailand (the RTP), same in any country.  And investigation only by the appropriate vehicle unless there is mass focused pressure from society.

- Decisions regarding guilt or otherwise by a proper court and only by the court.

 

What Thailand desperately doesn't need is local vigilante stuff, and where there there is evidence of local vigilante activity that too should always be investigated by the RTP or fully  appropriate body and actively sidelined as inappropriate and with punishment where needed.

 

Good luck. 

 

 

[Dmaxdan]

This is deplorable   Yes these kids need to learn that stealing is unacceptable but there ways of doing this without returning to the dark ages. 

[PatOngo]

Obviously no role models for the kids to follow....probably thought they were doing the right thing. How else do you afford an expensive watch!

[attrayant]

The child's parents should be punished (but not like this, maybe a 1000B fine), because they're obviously not bothering to teach their children any morals.

 

2 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

Spare the rod spoil the child.

 

Or you could just teach them the difference between right and wrong instead of teaching them that violence and torture is an acceptable method of punishment for petty crimes.

[sanemax]

Why did the kids steal the money ?

Were they hungry ?

[Eligius]

Is there a similar punishment doled out for 'responsible people' who have an unusually high number of unaccountably acquired luxury watches, I wonder ...?

[rkidlad]

Well, who's setting good examples for boys like this? It's all well telling a child not to steal, but if you're not setting a good example, whether you're the parent or society in general, you can't be too surprised. We are seeing many bad examples of late. 

 

They stole some money. Explain to them why that's wrong and get them to help out at the temple for the day (with their parents permission). You can't go round tying people up and hitting them. This isn't the stone-age. Prison for the people who did this. Sanctimony is not an excuse to release your pent-up aggression on others (especially kids).  

 

 

[JOC]

To steal from the temple is of course wrong.....

For temples to steal, con and fraud billions from ordinary people is considered normal...

Religion is indeed a strange phenomenon.......

 

As for the adults who allowed the flogging to take place, they should be ashamed of themselves....!!

[attrayant]

1 minute ago, JOC said:

To steal from the temple is of course wrong.....

 

This shouldn't need to be said.  Stealing from a temple is just as bad as stealing from any other place.

[trainman34014]

1 hour ago, Dmaxdan said:

This is deplorable   Yes these kids need to learn that stealing is unacceptable but there ways of doing this without returning to the dark ages. 

''Returning to the Dark Ages '' ?    This country has never left them !

[wirat69]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

What Thailand desperately doesn't need is local vigilante stuff, and where there there is evidence of local vigilante activity that too should always be investigated

What any community desperately doesn't need is local vigilante stuff....

[Cadbury]

I don't recall reading about bad monks being flogged or punished for their sins of the flesh or drug taking/selling or stealing. Defrocking seems to be the harshest penalty these freeloaders get.

[Lupatria]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

While those controlling the finances of the Temples...............

regards Worgeordie

If they would tie every monk and abbot to a tree for crimes or misbehavior, they can proclaim a new tourist attraction: "Visit the Orange Forrest".

[scorecard]

29 minutes ago, wirat69 said:

What any community desperately doesn't need is local vigilante stuff....

 

Be interesting to know if the local police have intervened, quickly removed the kids from being tied up and are now taking the case through proper procedures.

 

They should be!

 

And have the police reprimanded whoever decided to take the matter into their own hands?

 

 

[colinneil]

9 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

If they would tie every monk and abbot to a tree for crimes or misbehavior, they can proclaim a new tourist attraction: "Visit the Orange Forrest".

Problem then would be there would be none left to go out begging.

[marquis22]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

While those controlling the finances of the Temples...............

regards Worgeordie

Not to mention the ones donating the finances.

[scorecard]

1 minute ago, colinneil said:

Problem then would be there would be none left to go out begging.

 

...or go shopping for next ipad or smartphone.

[Pattaya28]

2 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

This is deplorable   Yes these kids need to learn that stealing is unacceptable but there ways of doing this without returning to the dark ages. 

This is a 3rd world country.

Your laws and principles and their laws and principles are far apart.

Take that into consideration.

[newatthis]

Flogging at the temple, hey?? Wow!! The days of the Inquisition have returned! And not even apostates; just over 200baht. A newer version of Les Miserables?

[stanleycoin]

Fine by me.

It's the only way they will ever have any change of

understanding right from wrong. grandma and grandpa don't give a toss in most homes,  when the kids are dumped on them by the parents.  it's the way forward for Thailand. 

 

Spare the rod and spoil the child.

 

Should have been done back at home behind closed doors

Never beat your kids in public,  to many do gooders about now days. 

[manchega]

yes now if acceptable apply to the monks, then to the junta, stealing at the level where you can afford luxury watches worth more than a generals salaary then you need a lot of lashes and tieing up 

 

 

[stanleycoin]

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

I don't recall reading about bad monks being flogged or punished for their sins of the flesh or drug taking/selling or stealing. Defrocking seems to be the harshest penalty these freeloaders get.

I thought they just did a double Wai, and jobs a good'n, now days 

[crazykopite]

When I first came to the Kingdom 12 years ago I witnessed a mother take a small branch off a tree and started whipping her daughter who was no older than 8 years of age , it was unbelievable the way she was whipping this poor girl such was my shock I offered her money to stop whipping the child she just laughed in my face . I will never ever forget that little girls tears you could see on her face the pain she was enduring but nobody intervened the explanation given to me was that was the normal punishment for disobedience. 

[realenglish1]

I think when we are young most of us steal Whether it is a candy bar from the local store or money from someone. It is the life's lesson that teaches us that stealing is bad.

 

I am against tieing these kids up to a tree but a couple of shots on the backside should straighten them out.

 

My son was caught stealing some money from me when he was 11. He was grounded for a  month. Today he is an electrical engineer  I must have done something right.