Amnesty International (AI) has called on the government to end the "culture of impunity" in the deep South where the London-based organisation has documented at least 34 cases of authorities torturing suspected Malay Muslim insurgents, four of whom died.

"All the victims were Muslim, all but one were male, and 20 were under the age of 30; the youngest was a boy of six, the oldest 46," said the AI report entitled "Thailand: Torture in the Southern Counter-Insurgency".

Local human rights activist, Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, of the Cross Cultural Foundation, pointed to a January 6, 2009, posting on the Youtube website. It purportedly showed a group of armed Thai soldiers slapping and kicking a teenage boy who appeared to be from the Malay-speaking South.

"We called for a full and open investigation. If wrongful conduct is determined, there must be some sort of disciplinary or legal action, as well as compensation for the detainee," Pornpen said.

"There have been many other suspects who faced similar experiences," Pornpen added.