Thai Environmentalist May Leave Prachuap After Bid To Kill Him

[webfact]

Activist may leave Prachuap after bid to kill him

By The Nation

Prachuap Khiri Khan

An environmentalist plans to move out of Prachuap Khiri Khan - his hometown - because of fears for his safety after his campaigns to protect the environment and arouse public interest led to an apparent bid to kill him on Monday night.

Pachern Ketkaew, 43, escaped unscathed but two others were injured in an attack by two gunmen. The unsuspecting victims were Duangnapa Taeng-on, 13, and Utai Iamwanna, 53.

The gunmen opened fire at a food shop in Mueang district at around 7.30pm.

Pachern was chatting with friends in front of the shop when the first gunman got out of a car and opened fire.

"After he missed the target, another gunman jumped out and used an M-16 machine gun. That's how people in the shop got hurt," Ao Noi Police Station inspector Lt-Colonel Anusorn Mangmee said yesterday.

He said police protection was being provided to the victims and Pachern.

"Due to conflicting testimonies from witnesses, we cannot yet draw up sketches of the gunmen. They didn't have their faces covered," Anusorn said.

Police suspect Pachern may have been targeted for waging campaigns against big projects in the province and exposing encroachment on public land.

Pachern said yesterday he had testified before a Senate panel in December to provide more information on claims that a former community leader in Tambon Ao Noi illegally took gravel from a forest reserve and sold it for his own benefit.

"This former community leader has also illegally occupied plots of public land and rented them to local administrative organisations," Pachern claimed.

He said that he and other locals lodged a complaint with Prachuap Khiri Khan Governor Veera Srivattanatrakul over a landfill that had polluted the foot of Thung Kratai Khang Hill.

Pachern also exposed some investors who had encroached on public land.

"Since I decided to raise these issues with the authorities, I knew some people would want to use violence against me."

He said he and his family might need to move out of their hometown for their own safety.

-- The Nation 2011-02-02

[asiawatcher]

Sad state of affairs when a whistle blower exposes the truth and the corrupt people involved wish to compound their crimes? If it can of course, be proven. Their reaction (unless it is a case of mistaken identity on the victim) would appear obvious that big money and names are involved. But this is Thailand - a life is cheap.

[craigt3365]

Sad state of affairs when a whistle blower exposes the truth and the corrupt people involved wish to compound their crimes? If it can of course, be proven. Their reaction (unless it is a case of mistaken identity on the victim) would appear obvious that big money and names are involved. But this is Thailand - a life is cheap.

As was shown with the guy who shot at the Thai Air pilot on the highway a few weeks ago, the police can track these criminals down. Problem is...if they want to....

This act is horrible and should be investigated...but we know it will probably just slide away and be forgotten....