Army denies photo with masturbation caption joke that went viral
While it was probably a press release they never expected to have to make, the army has put out a statement saying they do not force their soldiers to masturbate. The strange accusation comes after a photo and story went viral on the internet suggesting that army soldiers were ordered to masturbate before showering.
The army has emphatically denied any sexual harassment saying that the story that accompanied the viral photo online never happened. The photo depicts men in uniform sitting on the ground at what looks like barracks while the caption said that 168 soldiers were ordered to masturbate before taking a shower.
The deputy commander of the 3rd Army says that the photo was actually taken by a soldier in his ranks and captures a meeting where a military unit attached to the 3rd Army was receiving their uniforms. The unit oversees security in the northern provinces of Thailand.
The soldier who took the photo posted it to his Instagram account with the caption claiming they were forced to masturbate before showering. The soldier was later questioned by his superiors and admitted that the caption was written as a joke in order to get attention and go viral.
The deputy commander of the 3rd Army took strong offence to the off-colour joke, saying that they consider it very important to treat all their personnel with respect. The soldier who posted the photo and the caption may face disciplinary action for his Instagram post.
The soldier in question did publish a follow-up post on Instagram apologizing for the misleading caption in an attempt to clear up the mess made when his joke went viral and was taken seriously by tens of thousands of people. As usual, the apology and correction post got far less attention and views than the misleading original post.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
