Respect wins respect

Last year, Lt Jarae Rojanasawinya of the 3rd Infantry Battalion was discharged without a pension. His crime? He had raped a sergeant major’s 14-year-old daughter multiple times and videotaped the act to blackmail the girl into silence.

Since a lieutenant outranks a sergeant, there wasn’t much the father could do except lodge a police complaint. Imagine if the father had taken matters into his own hands and taken revenge? This wasn’t the first incident and won’t be the last crime perpetrated by soldiers against their own officers, notwithstanding the recent Korat shooting spree.

Now imagine that instead of heading to Terminal 21, the Korat gunman had aimed his gun at all his superiors who had exploited him in the past. Then multiply that by several hundred junior officers who had suffered the same fate as the gunman.

The reality is that unless the military undergoes genuine reform, it may one day implode from the inside. Through reform, by trimming the force, the army will have more resources to look after junior officers’ welfare and well-being.

Just like in any other organisation, happy staff equals a productive workforce and once soldiers retire they can pursue other careers. We would have fewer but stronger soldiers and perhaps more scientists, programmers and entrepreneurs.

So dear military, with due respect, it’s in your interest to treat your junior staff as valuable assets. Treat them with respect, and you will gain their respect and loyalty in return.

EDWARD KITLERTSIRIVATANA