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HAZING HORROR: Freshman recounts cruel penis tug of war

Posted by Rick Salasar

With its cunning combination of "penis tug of war", "heavy mechanics programme" and "I just couldn't bear it any longer", the Nation was already looking a dead cert for this years' "Best Use of Tugging, Pubic, Burning, Penis, Hazing and Bled in a Single News Item" award but judges are now giving serious consideration to the lifetime achievement award for the publication of "You got hurt no matter if you won or lost in a penis tug of war."

Register now for the Official Rick Salasar "I Won the Cross-Chao Phraya Penis Tug-of-War" T-shirts.

HAZING HORROR: Freshman recounts cruel penis tug of war

Published on June 17, 2005

Student quits Isaan campus, seeks treatment after cruel attacks

A bruised freshman yesterday told another ugly story about initiation rituals – this one involving a "penis tug of war" and the burning of pubic hair.

The hazing was so brutal that Patiparn Inyabodhi, 21, decided to leave Rajamangala University of Technology Northeast campus for good and enrol elsewhere.

"I just couldn't bear it any longer. Fortunately my parents understood and allowed me to quit this university," Patiparn said after being treated at a hospital in his hometown of Buri Ram. He said most of his classmates were also injured during the activities.

Patiparn said the activities started on June 4 on campus and university lecturers ignored the cruelty taking place.

"You got hurt no matter if you won or lost in a penis tug of war."

He added that seniors had also candles to burn freshman's pubic hair, and that they forced freshmen to crawl to class without the use of their hands or arms. "Along the way, you ruined your clothes and your body bled," he said.

He added that senior students would also wake freshmen in the middle of the night and beat those who failed to get up quickly.

"We were forced to swallow dog meat and to pay for our seniors' drinks," Patiparn said. He vowed never to return to the university, where he had enrolled for the heavy mechanics programme.

Suwatchai Kerdmek, assistant director at the campus, said a fact-finding committee would be set up to look into the complaints.

He said he had only recently learned about problems concerning this year's initiation activities, but admitted that violent incidents had occurred in the past.

"Several years ago, younger students took revenge on seniors by attacking one with a paper cutter. The victim had to have more than 100 stitches," Suwatchai said.

Patiparn's father Surasak lodged a complaint with the Education Ministry about the initiation practices.

"Please take action. My son has just lost his educational opportunities because you allow such cruelty to go on," Surasak said.

Tosaporn Serirak, an adviser to Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik, said he would look into Patiparn’s case today.

"If such cruelty is confirmed, those involved should face punishment. They should be subject to suspension," Tosaporn said. He called on anyone who had complaints about initiation activities to call the hotline number 1579.

Tosaporn also urged the first-year student who was allegedly raped during initiation activities to contact the Education Ministry, saying he would ensure that she suffered no further harm.

"We can help place her in a new university. We think she won't feel comfortable at that university anymore," he said.

The Student Federation of Thailand said the rape victim was now under pressure because her university is trying to silence her.

"We have to respect her decision whether she wants to speak up or not. But finally, we think we will identify the university at the end so that the Education Ministry can launch its own investigation and take action," federation executive member Ratchanart Wanitsombat said, adding that the ministry should ensure that the victim did not suffer any consequences.

Despite the fact that indecent and brutal initiation activities had taken place, the federation called on the Higher Education Commission to cancel its request for all universities to stop initiation rituals.

"We would rather work out how to enforce constructive and useful activities because initiation rituals also have benefits," said Kotchawan Chaibutr, another executive member.

Source: The Nation

Posted Jun 17, 2005 at 12:15 PM | Permalink |