Buddha of Si Ouey

VA BENE FOTO IN PIÙ?
Si Ouey, also known as Si Uey Sae-Ung, is a figure who embodies horror and controversy in Thailand's criminal history. A Chinese immigrant who arrived in the 1940s, Si Ouey was accused of murdering and mutilating several children between 1954 and 1958, with the chilling allegation of cannibalism. According to authorities at the time, he confessed to targeting young victims because they were easier to lure, and claimed to enjoy the taste of human flesh. He was arrested while attempting to burn a body, sentenced to death, and executed in 1959. But his story didn't end there: his corpse was embalmed and displayed for decades at Bangkok's Siriraj Medical Museum, turning him into a grotesque cautionary tale for generations of Thai children. In recent years, however, his guilt has come under scrutiny. Si Ouey didn't speak Thai and had to rely on a translator during his trial, raising doubts about the authenticity of his confession.
Some historians and activists argue that he was a victim of anti-Chinese prejudice and rushed justice. In 2019, after a long humanitarian campaign, his body was removed from display and cremated in 2020, symbolically closing a dark and disturbing chapter in Thai history.
Doktor Lazarus Archaeologist, Historian, Collector, Independent Curator