Slain Village Leader Fought Firms Dumping Industrial Waste In Chachoengsao

[Thai at Heart]

So 10 events are already under investigation.

Any chance that a newspaper or a TV channel is going to be brave enough to snoop around and find out exactly what has been going on? It isn't as though no one else of his colleagues is going to know nothing about what he found out. Come on the Nation, get brave, put on your gas masks and your hazmat suits. I am sure you have one pooyai reporter somewhere who is so far up the foodchain he can't be touched.

Unless of course, his dad owns a chemicals plant.

I think a Nation or any other news reporter, would be on a suicide assignment. Might be hard to find volunteers.

Ow, cmon taking a video or two of some fetid black ponds and piles of disposed hazardous waste mixed together with office waste can't be that difficult.

The Pollution Control Department has a pretty big office in Chachoengsao, maybe someone should go ask them a few questions about what they don't know about what is going on. What we do know, is if it was an MNC sending this waste out the back door of their factory, they would have been all over it, so obviously this messes with some pretty big local companies, so. Someone, do the right thing for Thailand, and start digging.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[dcutman]

Human Rights Watch called for a full, transparent probe into the

killing, which came despite police being aware of "explicit threats" to

his life.

I dont suppose Human Rights Watch considered, it quite possibly may have been the police that executed K. Prajob?

If these HRW people are so interested in this case why don't they come here themselves and investigate.

Smart enough to know better, and value personal safety. Not much chance of getting shot crusading via email.

[phuturatica]

Really sad... May he RIP.

[Thai at Heart]

Makes you wonder why, people in danger like this don't leave brown envelopes filled with their evidence with HRW. I mean, it isn't as though someone can sue a dead man for libel if he names all the names.

[khunken]

Sad - yes, but not the first.

If the DSI wasn't so distracted in 'investigating' the politicians seen as a threat to the ruling party, they would be the right agency with the resources to go after the culprits.

Hardly fair to expect an ordinary journalist or a member of a human rights organisation to risk their lives in investigating this type of crime. Unfortunately there's no Panorama or 60-minutes equivalent here.

[Thai at Heart]

Sad - yes, but not the first.

If the DSI wasn't so distracted in 'investigating' the politicians seen as a threat to the ruling party, they would be the right agency with the resources to go after the culprits.

Hardly fair to expect an ordinary journalist or a member of a human rights organisation to risk their lives in investigating this type of crime. Unfortunately there's no Panorama or 60-minutes equivalent here.

Oh, i am sure sorayuth would have the balls to chase this if someone gave him a head start with a brown envelope full of evidence.

[jamhar]

It really is sad.

When i was in the US, we use to joke sometimes that being an environmentalist is a life endangering position.

Here in TL its true.

Sort of reminds me of the stories i heard about the early 1900's in the US, when the monopolists could do whatever they wanted via graft, intimidation and violence.

Hopefully TL learns its lessons quicker than we did.

[clockman]

Disgusting, and these so called Buddhists! One day the world will know!

[Joe Mamma]

Would be interesting to know the factories and CEO's involved and see them published. When someone creates a martyr, they deserve the wrath it brings! Brave vs. greedy cowards!

[webfact]

Find killers of anti-waste campaigner: rights group
The Nation



CHACHOENGSAO: -- The recent killing of Prajob Nao-opas, a village headman in Chachoengsao who fought against polluting firms in his hometown, marks yet another example of the fundamental failure of Thai authorities to protect activists who risk their lives to defend their communities, said Human Rights Watch (HRW) yesterday.

In the statement, HRW Asia director Brad Adams urged the government to order a serious investigation so as to bring those responsible for Prajob's death to justice, regardless of their status or political affiliation.

Prajob was fatally shot on Monday.

According to police, the investigation is progressing well.


-- The Nation 2013-02-28

[justathought]

So will there just be another useless committee formed and then it all goes away or will these industrialists be held to account? Sad when a man does the right thing by leading protest and these cowards take him down. Sadly life in Thailand is cheap if it gets in the way of criminal activities affecting their [the criminals] pockets.

I though this sort of thing no longer happened in the land of smiles. Brave chappie, you have to feel sorry for his family.

[justathought]

Disgusting, and these so called Buddhists! One day the world will know!

hey, this has nothing to do with being Buddhists. This is a problem with human greed/ego not religion. This sort of poor comment should be struck out.

[justathought]

greed, the new culture of thailand, not buddism, since at least the last 20 years

greed is not confined only to Thailand. Experience tells me greed is practiced by members of all religions. Just a thought

[Johpa]

I though this sort of thing no longer happened in the land of smiles. Brave chappie, you have to feel sorry for his family.

Happens all the time, but usually over disputes with less global appeal.

Chaiyo!

[bigbamboo]

Exhibit A as to why Thailand is a dangerous place for people who care about the public interest. The modus operandi of the public is to keep quiet about the illegal, corrupt behavior of the higher-ups in every community from Bangkok to Nakhon Si Thammarat (the recent murder of the prison guard who consistently reported corruption to his superiors by fellow guards comes to mind). This is quite often out of concern for basic, personal safety. Journalists, soldiers, anyone who speaks out against abuses by authorities faces calculated murder followed by the requisite cover-up for cases that go public. For those that don't, well, there's tangled mess of Thailand's judicial bureaucracy for them. RIP Mr. Naowa-opas. You barked up the wrong tree when you tried to do right by those you cared about. The poo yai can't have folks getting too uppity, now, can they?

I'm sure the 'missing' lawyer Somchai's supporters would agree with you.

[slipperx]

Mai pen rai - it's Thai tradition - Thai culture. When will you thoughtless, ignorant farang understand Thainess?

[Thai at Heart]

Mai pen rai - it's Thai tradition - Thai culture. When will you thoughtless, ignorant farang understand Thainess?

Well one guy cared enough with little influence from farang.

[PoodMaiDai]

Poor guy.

Too bad even if the killer is caught he will buy his way out of it and nothing will happen to the company who hired him.

[allan michaud]

Respect to the man for standing up.

Sadly too many brave souls have lost their lives standing up for their and other rights and yet there is no public outcry, no media dares take up the cause. My friend was murdered here in Cambodia last year for fighting illegal logging, but thankfully we don't see as many deaths of activists as Thailand. It's truly dreadful that the scum that's floating on top of Thai society is allowed to keep getting away with it.

[arthurboy]

The other newspaper has reported that 3 men have been arrested in connection with murder of Khun Prajob Naowa-opas.

Good news.

One is a senior civil servant (C8 level) in the Industry Ministry, while the other two are serving members of the Royal Thai Air Force.

Corruption, collusion and murder from the very people whose job it is is to serve the country.

Who are their masters, and is anyone surprised?

[francescoassisi]

Let's hope this doesn't follow the usual pattern of the henchmen taking the rap and the high ranking official being released due to "lack of evidence'

[francescoassisi]

Any follow up to this?

[wildorchid]

A LOT more people should be far more involved and vocal in this protest, who knows the next place to be turned into a toxic waste land could be next door to you??? then see how you feel about growing your own vegetables, fruit and eating them???