honorable mention
Adryel Talamamntes thailand
Photo © Adryel Talamamntes
title
การสังหารหมู่อุทัยสวรรค์: THE UTHAI SUWAN MASSACRE
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entry description
The massacre on October 6th, 2022, in Uthai Suwan, Thailand, stands as the deadliest act by a single individual in the country's history. Over several hours, multiple locations within the quiet rural subdistrict of Uthai Suwan in Nong Bua Lamphu province bore witness to the horrifying acts of a former police officer with a history of drug issues. He killed 37 people, including his partner and son, using guns, knives, and a vehicle as weapons before committing suicide. The motive for his crime remains unknown. The most devastating scene was at the Uthai Suwan Subdistrict administrative office's daycare center, where 22 young children and several adults were found dead. As the deceased were brought to temples to begin funeral rites many family members broke down, overcome by grief, attended to by first responders as they sobbed on the ground. The community mourned as the victims' refrigerated metal coffins, adorned with portraits of the once-smiling children and flowers, sat in state. The majority of the funerals took place at Wat Rat Samakee temple, which held rites for 18 child victims and their 26-year-old teacher who was 8 months pregnant at the time of her murder. The funerals for the remaining victims were conducted at two smaller temples nearby. On the night of October 11th a mass cremation was held at Wat Rat Samakke, which saw 18 individual funeral pyres in a row lit one by one by the temple abbot. The pyre of the teacher, Supaporn Prammongmook, was lit first so her students' spirits could follow her lead into the afterlife.about the photographer
Adryel Talamantes ( b. 1986) is a photojournalist originally from the United States based in Bangkok, Thailand. The focus of his work centers on news and documentary subject matter and he has covered stories in Cambodia, the Hong Kong S.A.R. ( China), Iraq, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and the USA. His photography has been published by outlets and organizations including The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, The Guardian, Thompson Reuters, L’ Obs (Le Nouvel Observateur), Der Stern, The Guardian Weekly, The Times (UK), Nikkei Asian Review, Le Monde, VICE, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, Deutsch Welle (DW), The New York Post, Mother Jones, BBC Mundo, The Diplomat, PRI/Global Post, Speigel Online, The Straits Times, Yahoo News, Bild, War Is Boring, and Remote Lands among others.back to gallery
