Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

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Nereus
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Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

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Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/securi ... /#cxrecs_s

YALA: Teachers are up in arms over the way the driver of a van taking young students home after school was arrested at a security checkpoint on Thursday, saying the 26 children were left psychologically traumatized by the terrifying experience.

The van was carrying 26 young pupils and one teacher when it was stopped by rangers and border patrol police at a security checkpoint in front of Wat Ban Bohin in tambon Ban Rae of Than To district around 4.10pm on Thursday.

They first ordered the driver, Arlee Yiman, out of the vehicle, suspecting him of involvement in the bombing of power poles at several locations in the southern border district.

Then, noticing all the children, they told him to get back in and behind the wheel. Two officers also got in the van and Mr Arlee was ordered to drive all the students and the teacher home, after which he was taken to Than To police station.

Mr Arlee would later be taken to Ingkhayut Borihan military camp in Pattani’s Nong Chik district for further interrogation.

The entire operation caused panic among the youngsters on board the van, said a teacher at Sutthisartwitthaya school who declined to be named. Some of the children had been reduced to tears.

Panic-stricken children returned home telling their parents they dared not go back to school.

Teachers and the school director gathered at the district hall later on Thursday, calling on military authorities to explain the incident, the teacher said.

On Friday, five of the students who had been in the van were absent from class.

All teachers understood that the rangers and police were doing their duty, however they needed to take into consideration the psychological impact on the young students, said the teacher.

Mr Arlee was hired to provide a service, taking the students to and from school. He picked them up at their homes in the morning and after setting them down at school he went to teach Islam at a school in Than To. In the afternoon, he drove the van taking the students back to their homes.

The teacher wondered why the authorities did not arrest the driver at his home.

Than To district chief Nirut Bua-on said on Friday he was not aware of the round-up operation. He had not so far seen any teachers at his office.

Pol Lt Col Chetthawit Neerahing, commander of the 44th border patrol police task force, said Mr Arlee was detained under the emergency decree on suspicion of involvement a string of bomb blasts that damaged power poles at several locations in Yala.

The stop-search-and-seize operation was being investigated, he said.
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What is it with these idiots? Firstly, why the hell is there 25 little kids jammed into a van? Secondly, what a way to treat impressionable young kids about law and order and the function of the police. :guns:
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

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I hope the 26 kids and the teacher that the police ordered to the bombing suspect to drive home were firmly belted in. Else would that make the police party to a criminal act?
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

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Big Boy wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:12 pm I hope the 26 kids and the teacher that the police ordered to the bombing suspect to drive home were firmly belted in. Else would that make the police party to a criminal act?
As Nereus intimated, if there were 26 children and a teacher and driver in a van, I don’t think it would be physically possible for them to all be belted, even if the van was fitted with them.
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

Post by Nereus »

If you open the link there is a photo of the poor little buggers. Scroll down and there are several comments posted, but in the article itself not a mention is made about the number of kids jammed in.

And I would be willing to bet if the fact was broached with the numbskulls involved that in 99% of cases the answer would be a blank look in return!
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

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Dannie Boy wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:50 pm
Big Boy wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:12 pm I hope the 26 kids and the teacher that the police ordered to the bombing suspect to drive home were firmly belted in. Else would that make the police party to a criminal act?
As Nereus intimated, if there were 26 children and a teacher and driver in a van, I don’t think it would be physically possible for them to all be belted, even if the van was fitted with them.
Exactly, so why did the BIB ORDER the bomb suspect to drive them anywhere? Just like not wearing a helmet, it's an offence until you've handed over your 200 Baht, and the reason I repeatedly say this country needs a proper police force.

If the bomb suspect had had an accident, whose fault is it? The police have ORDERED him to drive.
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

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BB you'll have StevePiraq handing out friendly warnings to you if you start talking about 200 Baht.
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

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Driver and the school should be charged with child endangerment and overloading a vehicle. Max fine 200baht
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

Post by HHTel »

I don't see anywhere of the transport being defined. The word 'van' is used but no details of it.
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

Post by Nereus »

There is a photo of a van in the first link posted.

And then there is the following that shows what appears to be a different van:

Isoc denies arrest of van driver traumatised children

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/securi ... van-driver

Security authorities have defended the way they handled the arrest of a school van driver in Yala, saying their actions did not cause panic among children as claimed.

A spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) on Saturday discussed the incident in which officers arrested Arlee Yiman at a security checkpoint in Than To district on Thursday.

The agency had reviewed the incident and found that border patrol police had set up a checkpoint in front of Wat Ban Bohin on Thursday to conduct random searches for illicit drugs, said Col Thanawee Suwannarat, a deputy spokesman for Isoc Region 4.

When the school van arrived at the checkpoint at around 3.30pm, the officers asked the driver to show them his driving licence or ID. After they examined the card, they found that the driver was wanted under the emergency decree, said Col Thanawee.

The officers told the van driver they would take him to the Than To police station. As they saw 26 young pupils and a teacher inside the van, they asked him to drive all the students home and to take the teacher to Sutthisartwitthaya School.

The officers later took Mr Arlee to the police station. He was later placed in military custody for interrogation. Further details were not given.

None of the students were panicked or cried as reported, said the Isoc deputy spokesman.

Security officers and local officials were later sent to explain the incident to students’ parents, teachers and local residents in a bid to create better understanding, said Col Thanawee.

He made the comments in response to media reports that teachers were unhappy about the way authorities handled the situation, given that the driver was in charge of a van full of children at the time.

One teacher told reporters earlier that the operation caused panic among the youngsters in the van, and some began crying.

Panic-stricken children returned home telling their parents they dared not go back to school. Teachers and the school director gathered at the Than To district office later on Thursday, calling for military authorities to explain the incident.
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

Post by HHTel »

There is a photo of a van in the first link posted.
My apologies. I hadn't followed through on the link. Regardless of which van it was, how on earth can you get 26 kids plus a teacher in there safely. The driver is already under arrest on another count. However, someone commissioned the van and was paying for it. Whoever that is needs a good talking to!!
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

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I still maintaintain the police ORDERING the continuation of the journey makes them just as culpable in this crime.
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

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Big Boy wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:42 am I still maintaintain the police ORDERING the continuation of the journey makes them just as culpable in this crime.
Although the police are no better, in this case it was ISOC "officers" that were involved. But it is the old story of putting "people" in uniforms, whereby they become a power unto themselves, and the general population has no recourse.

We know that the south has a big problem with insurgents, and that they have in the past attacked schools, but surely even the most thickest of the authorities could see that a van load of little kids was not a threat. If the driver was on some wanted list, then it should have been an easy matter to just quietly replace him with another driver, or one of them go with him until the kids were delivered.

As for the number of kids on board the bus, it just does not enter into the mentality of these people to question it. In fact, I would not be surprised that if challenged, the answer would be: "the kids are packed in close together, so they will not get hurt in an accident"! :banghead:
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

Post by Big Boy »

I've actually seen it many times both here and in the UK. 3 kids for 2 seats.

I've not caught a bus in Isaan for a few years now, but bus seats there used to be smaller anyway i.e. instead of the traditional 2 + 2, they used to be 3 + 3.

Can I ask what ISOC is please?
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

Post by Nereus »

Can I ask what ISOC is please?
Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc)
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Re: Students left traumatized by stop, arrest of van driver

Post by Big Boy »

Thank you :thumb:
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