Former anti-establishment student activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal announced today (Sunday) that he is ready to face legal action for missing the military lottery draw for conscription today in Theparak sub-district of Samut Prakan.
Netiwit, who entered the monkhood on July 10th last year, said in his Facebook post today that he plans to leave the monkhood at the end of this month and then face justice for dodging the draft, but not before taking a 2-day Pali language exam.
He said he has been clear since he was 18 that he strongly disagrees with mandatory conscription, as it infringes on his right to freedom and liberty as a human being.
He is also known to be an opponent of paying respect to Thailand’s national flag at 8am each morning.
To keep his promise not to resort to use the monkhood to evade conscription, which is deemed a violation of religious rules, Netiwit said that he will leave to face justice.
According to the military rules, a Thai male can ask for exemption from military conscription until he is 27, after which he will have to take part in the lottery to determine whether he will be drafted or permanently exempted. A conscript will do military service for two years.
