Viral video hides dark reality of Thailand’s military conscription
The future of many young men is determined by the luck of the draw.
Videos of this year’s Thai military conscription lottery have been going viral on TikTok as young men discover whether or not they will be exempt from service.
Footage shows crowds cheering and jeering at potential conscripts as they go to draw a red or black card – if they draw red, they must serve their two years. Black, and they are exempt.
One video in particular, showing a man partaking in the yearly draw, shows the theatricality of the entire military lottery process in Thailand.
The man – name unknown – smiled and put a hand to his chest after his name was announced, as if to say, ‘Who, me?’, before walking up to the draw bucket while donning a stylish silver chainmail purse.
Posing and moving his arms around to wave at the crowd surrounding him, he drew a red card – meaning he has to serve time in the military. His demeanor changed quickly as he walked towards the registration table after the announcement.
But the video has gone viral – with Twitter user David Mack sharing the video and adding: ‘Thai military conscription: where the fiercest divas you’ve ever seen find out if they have to literally serve.’
But the showmanship of the military draw each year in Thailand has distracted from the gravity of the military conscription – and the alleged abuse of conscripts in the armed forces.
Why a lottery draw?
Thailand’s 1954 Military Service Act states that when men turn 21, they become eligible for conscription.
If they don’t volunteer, they participate in a yearly lottery in April, where they draw either a black card for exemption or a red card for mandatory enlistment.
Physically, men must be:
- Free of disease and disability that prevents military service
- Be at least 160cm tall and have a chest circumference of 76cm or more when exhaling
Each year, roughly 100,000 males are recruited – roughly half through the lottery and half voluntarily.
The April draw is tense – family and friends watch on as men are (literally) handed their fate.
Some have reportedly collapsed after pulling a red card. This may have to do with the rumoured abuse within the Thai military – especially of LGBTQ+ peoples.
Does Thailand allow LGBTQ+ persons to serve in the military?
Until 2005, LGBTQ+ persons were exempted from military service, having been labelled as suffering from a ‘mental disorder’.
This ban was lifted, and now all Thai citizens 21 and over who were assigned male at birth are required to participate in military conscription.
Transgender women are exempt from conscription, as the military views them as having ‘gender identity disorder’ – but exemption only applies if they can ‘prove’ their gender.
But even though LGBTQ+ Thai nationals are now allowed to serve in the Thai military, allegations of widespread abuse and discrimination have caused concern.
Alleged abuse in the Thai military
In 2020, Amnesty International uncovered ‘rampant’ sexual harassment, beatings and abuse in the Thai military – primarily against those who identify as gay.
Clare Algar, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy & Policy said: ‘Abuses of new conscripts in the Thai military have long been an open secret. What our research shows is that such maltreatment is not the exception but the rule, and deliberately hushed within the military.’
Interviewees with Amnesty described being forced to masturbate and ejaculate in front of each other, being sexually attacked and witnessing those attacks.
Gay conscripts were singled out repeatedly, with some forced to entertain and massage commanders in situations that turned into further sexual abuse and rape, they found.
After being presented with Amnesty’s findings, Deputy Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Chalermchai Sri-saiyud said the military follows a policy of ‘treating new conscripts as family members and friends.’
Human rights watchdogs have said it’s also not uncommon for military cadets to be found dead in mysterious circumstances due to punishment, assault and hazing rituals.
Roughly 8% of Thailand’s population of 71.7 million are thought to identify as LGBTQ+. In the US, the percentage is thought to hover around 7.1% out of 33.3 million, and in the UK, it’s 3.3% out of 66.97 million.
But even as Thailand has a slightly higher statistic of nationals who identify as gay, 2015 statistics from the Khon Thai Foundation revealed that among Thais between 15 and 24 years old, 56 per cent thought homosexuality was wrong.
But the country is making strides forward – in late March, they legalised same-sex marriage in an almost unanimous vote.
Would Thailand ever stop their draft lottery?
Conscription has been a topic of contention in Thai politics for years. In the 2019 elections, it was a key issue for voters, and three parties spoke of abandoning the draft altogether.
The reported widespread abuse within the military has also caused many to question the mandatory service for those who draw a red card.
But in other parts of Thailand – poorer, rural areas – many men jump at the chance to leave their homes and serve so they can earn a monthly wage for their families.
The future of Thailand’s dramatic draft lotteries remains in question – but for now, men’s future will be determined by the luck of the draw.
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