Death Sentence Given In Murder Of Environmentalist

[sriracha john]

Death sentence handed down in Bo Nok power station case

BANGKOK, Dec 30 (TNA) - Thailand's Criminal Court on Tuesday delivered a death sentence to a man on charges of masterminding the premeditated murder of a noted environmental activist four years ago.

Charoen Wat-aksorn, an environmental activist leading a campaign against the construction of two coal-fired power stations in Bo Nok of the southern province of Prachuab Khiri Khan, was gunned down in January, 2004.

Thanu Hinkaew was given the death sentence on charges of hiring the gunmen, identified as Saneh Lekluan and Prachuab Hinkaew, to kill Mr. Charoen, who had led the movement of Bo Nok villagers against a project to build the power plants which they feared would spoil the environment.

Both gunmen had died.

Two other suspects, namely Manote Hinkaew and Jua Hinkaew, were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

[sriracha john]

Death sentence for 2004 activist murder

The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a man - Thanu Hinkaew - to death for ordering the fatal shooting of environmentalist Charoen Wat-aksorn.

Two men pleaded guilty to gunning down Charoen in 2004. The victim reportedly upset local influential figures when he led a protest against the construction of a power plant in Tambon Bo Nok in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Mueang district.

Charoen had also told a Senate committee about alleged attempts by local influential people to grab public land in Tambon Bo Nok.

The gunmen had confessed that Thanu - a lawyer by profession - hired them to kill Charoen so that Jua Hinkaew could benefit from the power-plant construction. Jua, 71, was a former kamnan of Tambon Bo Nok.

Although the gunmen died in jail pending court trials, the court said their testimonies and related evidence firmly counted against Thanu, who received the death penalty.

The court, however, gave Jua the benefit of the doubt until more evidence is produced. Jua is to be held in detention pending appeal.

However, the court yesterday dropped the murder charge against the other suspect in the case, Manoch Hinkaew, on grounds of weak evidence.

Manoch, a Prachuap Khiri Khan provincial councillor, was found to have had many phone conversations with one of the gunmen, but no one knew what had been said.

Charoen's wife, Korn-uma Pongnoi, was not present in the courtroom when the verdict was read because she said she was afraid justice would not be done.

Her husband's body has yet to be cremated, in line with his decision. Charoen had told his wife that if he was killed and the culprits were not brought to justice, his body should be cremated in front of Government House.

"But now, some justice has been done. So, we have to think about what to do next," Korn-uma said after hearing about Thanu's death sentence.

However, she remains worried about how the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court will decide on this case.

- The Nation / 2008-12-31

[sriracha john]

Court Orders Execution for Murderer of Environmental Activist

The Criminal Court has handed down a life sentence for one of the suspects in the 2004 murder of an environmental activist who led protests against coal-fired power plants.

The Criminal Court has handed down a life sentence to Thanu Hinkaew, one of the suspects involved in the assassination of anti-coal activist Charoen Wat-aksor, while the charges against two other suspects have been dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

Thanu Hinkaew, Manot Hinkaew, and Jua Hinkaew had been arrested for hiring Sanae Lekluan and Prajuab Hinkaew to kill Chareon.

Sanae and Prajuab died in prison earlier, and Jua and Manot have been released.

Charoen Wat-aksorn, Thailand's most prominent anti-coal activist from Prachuab Khiri Khan, was assassinated by the pro-coal mafia in 2004.

He galvanized opposition against coal by communities who understood how coal can cause pollution and climate change since 1997.

Charoen and a few others provided strong leadership in several protests, including one on December 8, 1998 when the community mobilized to block the Southern Highway.

Their victory came in 2003 when the government announced the cancellation of the power plant proposal there, moved it elsewhere, and ordered natural gas to be used instead of coal.

- TOC / 2008-12-30

[sriracha john]

Criminal Court sentences Thanu Hinkaew (white shirt) to death for hiring a hit man to kill Charoen Wat-aksorn, an environment activist. Court dismissed other defendants; Manote Hinkaew and Jeu Hinkaew (yellow t-shirt), for lack of evidence.

The Nation / 2008-12-31

[Loaded]

There was a very good article about the background to this in yesterday's Bangkok Post.

The two gunmen were quickly arrested after the killing, gave statements identifying the kamnan and his two sons as the financiers of yhe hit but then both died in custody suddenly and mysteriously. The police said they died of HIV!!!! Very easy to understand the wife of the dead man saying she didn't expect Justice.

The kamnan will now have to work hard, spend a lot of money and incur many debts of obligation (bun khun) to save his son. Unlikely he will be executed.

There has never been a conviction in any of the many killings of environmentalists in Thailand. Maybe new government, new judicial policy.

[sriracha john]

Charoen's killer sentenced to death

The Criminal Court sentenced lawyer Thanu Hinkaew to death on Tuesday, convicting him of being behind the high-profile murder of environmental activist Charoen Wat-aksorn. Charoen led villagers to protest against the construction of two coal-fired power plants in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bo Nok district. He was gunned down 4 years ago, possibly because of his leading role in the protests against the project which has already been scrapped. The other two co-defendants accused of involvement in the murder were acquitted for lack of evidence. They were Manote Hinkaew, 42, a Prachuap Khiri Khan provincial councillor and Jua Hinkaew, 71, a former kamnan of Bo Nok. Thanu, a lawyer, and Manote are both sons of Jua, who is known to be the key proponent of the power plants. The two gunmen — Saneh Lekluan and Prachuap Hinkaew — who were arrested for shooting the activist, died while in detention. Prachuap died of an illness on March 21, 2006, while Saneh died of heart failure on Aug 3, 2006, at the Bangkok Central Prison’s hospital, prison authorities said. All the defendants were charged with premeditated murder and breaches of the gun control law. The court said the case against Thanu had been substantiated by solid evidence and eyewitness accounts. The court said it was told by police investigators that when the two gunmen were arrested, they confessed to the crime and took police to the place where they committed the murder and to the place where the guns used in the shooting were hidden. The court said the guns were seized and were found to match a number of bullet casings found at the scene of the murder. The court was told that Saneh and Prachuap implicated Thanu in the murder. The two gunmen told police that Thanu devised the murder plot and supplied them with the guns to commit the crime. The two gunmen testified against Thanu in the presence of investigators and their lawyers and they were not forced to make their confessions, the court said. Even though the two gunmen later died while in detention, their testimonies against Thanu were still valid, it said. The court also found Thanu guilty of being behind the murder and sentenced him to death and ordered the seizure of the guns. Manote and Jua were acquitted for lack of evidence, but the court ordered that Jua be detained as the prosecution lodged an appeal against his acquittal.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1356...tenced-to-death

Edited December 31, 2008 by sriracha john

[soundman]

Charoen's killer sentenced to death

By: Chaiwat Satyaem

Published: 31/12/2008 at 04:41 AM

The Criminal Court sentenced lawyer Thanu Hinkaew to death on Tuesday, convicting him of being behind the highprofile murder of environmental activist Charoen Wat-aksorn.

Charoen led villagers to protest against the construction of two coal-fired power plants in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bo Nok district.

He was gunned down four years ago, possibly because of his leading role in the protests against the project which has already been scrapped.

The other two co-defendants accused of involvement in the murder were acquitted for lack of evidence.

They were Manote Hinkaew, 42, a Prachuap Khiri Khan provincial councillor and Jua Hinkaew, 71, a former kamnan of Bo Nok.

Thanu, a lawyer, and Manote are both sons of Jua, who is known to be the key proponent of the power plants.

The two gunmen — Saneh Lekluan and Prachuap Hinkaew — who were arrested for shooting the activist, died while in detention.

Prachuap died of an illness on March 21, 2006, while Saneh died of heart failure on Aug 3, 2006, at the Bangkok Central Prison’s hospital, prison authorities said.

All the defendants were charged with premeditated murder and breaches of the gun control law.

The court said the case against Thanu had been substantiated by solid evidence and eyewitness accounts.

The court said it was told by police investigators that when the two gunmen were arrested, they confessed to the crime and took police to the place where they committed the murder and to the place where the guns used in the shooting were hidden.

Continued here.

[sriracha john]

The Criminal Court sentenced lawyer Thanu Hinkaew to death on Tuesday.

Bangkok Post

[Briggsy]

Why is the defendant not wearing an orange prison uniform and shackles? Why the preferential treatment?

[jbowman1993]

Why is the defendant not wearing an orange prison uniform and shackles? Why the preferential treatment?

The words "Out on Bail" spring to mind. Lesson of this and many other articles. Don't kill people....Apparently a lesson to hard for some.

[soundman]

The two gunmen — Saneh Lekluan and Prachuap Hinkaew — who were arrested for shooting the activist, died while in detention.

Prachuap died of an illness on March 21, 2006, while Saneh died of heart failure on Aug 3, 2006, at the Bangkok Central Prison’s hospital, prison authorities said.

Died of natural causes? Quite a co-incidence.

[marshbags]

Death sentence for 2004 activist murder

The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a man - Thanu Hinkaew - to death for ordering the fatal shooting of environmentalist Charoen Wat-aksorn.

Two men pleaded guilty to gunning down Charoen in 2004. The victim reportedly upset local influential figures when he led a protest against the construction of a power plant in Tambon Bo Nok in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Mueang district.

Charoen had also told a Senate committee about alleged attempts by local influential people to grab public land in Tambon Bo Nok.

The gunmen had confessed that Thanu - a lawyer by profession - hired them to kill Charoen so that Jua Hinkaew could benefit from the power-plant construction. Jua, 71, was a former kamnan of Tambon Bo Nok.

Although the gunmen died in jail pending court trials, the court said their testimonies and related evidence firmly counted against Thanu, who received the death penalty.

The court, however, gave Jua the benefit of the doubt until more evidence is produced. Jua is to be held in detention pending appeal.

However, the court yesterday dropped the murder charge against the other suspect in the case, Manoch Hinkaew, on grounds of weak evidence.

Manoch, a Prachuap Khiri Khan provincial councillor, was found to have had many phone conversations with one of the gunmen, but no one knew what had been said.

Charoen's wife, Korn-uma Pongnoi, was not present in the courtroom when the verdict was read because she said she was afraid justice would not be done.

Her husband's body has yet to be cremated, in line with his decision. Charoen had told his wife that if he was killed and the culprits were not brought to justice, his body should be cremated in front of Government House.

"But now, some justice has been done. So, we have to think about what to do next," Korn-uma said after hearing about Thanu's death sentence.

However, she remains worried about how the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court will decide on this case.

- The Nation / 2008-12-31

May you now Rest in Peace Charoen and your loved ones find some sort of comfort in this outcome.

May the low life councilor, Manoch Hinkaew, found not guilty by " weak evidence " ??? along with Jua Hinkaew and all those involved in this terrible crime, get their Karma some day soon.

Once again so called influencial members of a certain group of inhumanity / and society and their ilk, doing what they do and have done so many times, while arrogantly giving two fingers to law abiding citizens, the law itself and their rights to the freedom of speech and defending enviromental issues.

Money as always for so called people of influence, is their only god in this world.

marshbags

Edited December 31, 2008 by marshbags

[Fore Man]

Sorry, but can you define the term 'kamnan'? Is this the political head of the tambon?

[ratcatcher]

Sorry, but can you define the term 'kamnan'? Is this the political head of the tambon?

I think it's sometimes like the local Godfather to whom the peasantry go cap in hand and touch their forelock.

Usually people you would rather not want to be indebted to, I think.

Unsavory characters, like Kamnan Poh of Chonburi disrepute.

[goonerthegooner]

He has got the Death sentence quite rightly. What is the Death sentence here in Thailand, Firing Squad,or by Lethal Injection,or some other way??.

Thanks

[sriracha john]

Lethal injection.

[Familyonthemove]

Good to see people held accountable for killing a person who was trying to save us all ...... it's a shame that the French Government were never really held accountable for a similar crime

[sriracha john]

Amazingly, yet again, another defendant CONVICTED and SENTENCED to DEATH for MURDER has been granted bail...

GRIEVING WIFE: Korn-uma Pongnoi standing in front of a statue built in memory of Charoen Wat-aksorn. near the Bo Nok intersection where he was gunned down.

REST IN PEACE: A youngster holds a picture of slain environmental activist Charoen Wat-aksorn.

A woman seeking justice

Korn-uma Pongnoi is not yet satisfied with the state's efforts to find the killers of her husband, environmental activist Charoen Wat-aksorn

One year, two years, four years she waited - then finally on Dec 30 last year the court delivered a verdict that resulted in one defendant, lawyer Thanu Hinkaew, being sentenced to death for the murder of Korn-uma Pongnoi's husband Charoen Wat-aksorn. Two other defendants, Thanu's brother, Manote, a provincial councillor and their father, Jua, a former sub-district chief, were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The two alleged hired gunmen who were accused of actually committing the murder were found dead while in detention before they appeared in court. An ordinary villager from Bo Nok, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Mr Charoen fought two major coal-fire power plant projects until they were abandoned. Through his efforts powerful state figures, including then PM Thaksin Shinawatra, were drawn to pay more attention to the plight of locals affected by such projects, raising hopes in the civic sector that it could stand up against giant developers. Saneh Chamrik, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, said Mr Charoen's case was an example of tampering with investigations. While he was involved with protests against encroachment of public coastal land believed to be linked with the power plants projects, Mr Charoen lost his life. He was gunned down after testifying before the Senate on June 21, 2004. Despite his high profile and the publicity surrounding the case, it took four years for his wife and neighbours from Bo Nok to see a small measure of justice. However, they say, the saga is not over. Following the court's verdict, on Jan 6, 2009, Ms Korn-uma led about 300 villagers from Prachuap Khiri Khan to the Office of the Attorney-General because she believes the courts have barely scratched the surface on the case. According to her, Thanu and the other two defendants are only middlemen working for powerful figures, both at the national and local levels, whose business interests were jeopardised by Mr Charoen's environmental activities. The public prosecution team is now preparing a new case for the court of appeals, but there's a hurdle before them. According to a prosecution source, in order to appeal they need documents pertaining to the court verdict to make the case, but the court has yet to grant them the documents. The deadline for the appeal process expired last week, and the team is now appealing for an extension of the appeal process for another 30 days. "The documents are important for us to shape the case, as we have to examine which points we can raise in the appeal against the acquitted," said the source. The convicted defendant, Mr Thanu, has been granted bail by the court. Bo Nok villagers and Ms Korn-uma believe that not only are the masterminds of the murder of Mr Charoen are still at large, but the justice process, particularly the investigation process, was flawed from the beginning. As well, Ms Korn-um, who runs a resort and restaurant in Bo Nok, now faces a dilemma. Convicted defendant Thanu has been released on bail and is now living in the same area of the small community as she does. Ms Korn-uma says she has received death threats, though she has no evidence who is behind it. So she can do little other than to be cautious as she travels around her village, and in her own home, normally accompanied by friends who look out for her.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigat...seeking-justice

Edited February 2, 2009 by sriracha john

[Journalist]

Amazingly, yet again, another defendant CONVICTED and SENTENCED to DEATH for MURDER has been granted bail...

Scandalous, thats for sure. Are there many cases of prisoners on death row out on bail?