Bangkok Court Sentences Thai Man for Killing Cambodian Dissident

Bangkok, Oct 3 (AP) - A court in Bangkok handed down a life sentence on Friday to a Thai man for the shooting death of a Cambodian opposition politician, marking an episode many viewed as a political assassination whose full motives remain obscured. Lim Kimya, a former lawmaker from the disbanded Cambodia National Rescue Party, was gunned down on January 7 in the heart of Bangkok near the bustling Khaosan Road, a hotspot for backpackers. The assailant, identified as Ekkalak Pheanoi, escaped across the border to Cambodia but was later apprehended, deported, and confessed to the crime, authorities reported. Despite revealing he had been hired to execute the killing, the trial did not uncover who ultimately orchestrated the act. The Bangkok Criminal Court initially sentenced Ekkalak to death, later reducing it to life imprisonment due to his admission of guilt and cooperation with law enforcement. Human rights advocates are calling the killing a part of a troubling pattern of extrajudicial actions and enforced disappearances targeting dissidents in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Before his assassination, Lim Kimya used his Facebook platform to criticize the Cambodian government. Security footage captured the shooter arriving and departing on a motorbike, with three shots audible before Lim Kimya fell. Thai authorities, in the aftermath, issued arrest warrants for two Cambodian individuals, believed to have arranged and aided in the assassination, but both remain at large after fleeing to Cambodia. Ekkalak was found guilty on all counts, including premeditated murder and illegal use of weapons, and was ordered to compensate Lim Kimya's family with 1.7 million baht (USD 55,100). Nadthasiri Bergman, representing Lim Kimya's widow, indicated that an appeal for greater compensation may be forthcoming, urging authorities to intensify efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects. Cambodia’s human rights record under its former long-time leader, Hun Sen, drew significant criticism for suppressive actions against free speech and political opposition. His tenure ended in August 2023, succeeded by his son, Hun Manet, though limited political reforms have been noted. In a related development, another Thai individual, Chakrit Buakhli, who had been accused of aiding Ekkalak by facilitating his escape to the Cambodian border, was acquitted. The court found him to be merely a driver with no connection to the assassination. (AP) NPK NPK

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