webfact Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Thai land rights activist murdered AFP BANGKOK: -- A land rights campaigner was gunned down outside his home in southern Thailand, police said Friday, in what the UN said is the fourth killing linked to land activism in the region in under a year. Chai Bunthonglek, a village leader from the Khlong Sai Pattana community in the southern Surat Thani province, was shot dead by two gunmen who arrived on a motorcycle on Wednesday evening, police said. "He was shot three times and died instantly at the scene," Lieutenant Chawalit Thongma at the Chaiburi district police station told AFP, adding that investigators were focusing on his activism as the main motive for his killing. The UN's regional human rights body called on police to swiftly find Chai's killers, adding that the murder of activists in southern Thailand had become all too common. "Alarmingly, Chai is also the fourth human rights defender who works on land rights in the south of Thailand that has been killed since May 2014," the United Nations Human Rights Office for South East Asia (OHCHR) said in a statement. The OHCHR said the Khlong Sai Pattana community had been involved in a long running dispute with a large palm oil plantation over access to land. Three other members of the community have been killed since 2010. "Despite the police investigation, no one has been brought to justice for these murders," the statement read. Enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of activists in Thailand are commonplace, with few killers facing justice. According to the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances there are at least 81 open cases of enforced disappearance in Thailand dating back as far the mid-1990s. One case that has largely flown under the international radar is that of Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen, a Karen rights activist also known as Billy, who was apprehended by national park officials in Thailand on April 17, ostensibly for illegal honey gathering. He was en route to meet fellow ethnic minority Karen villagers to help them file a lawsuit accusing authorities of torching the homes of 20 families in Kaeng Krachan National Park in 2011. -- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-02-13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post NextStationBangkok Posted February 13, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2015 Time to blame the 1% who owns 49% wealth of the world! It is sad indeed, people who fight for poor people right to live have been targeted. It is a social illness, and Thailand should protect the people who fight for the poor people. The object of the coup government should focus on the people don't own homes and landless formers , and allot them some lands for the their life. Also take care who fight for them. It is the fundamental of all political change what they wanted to see. Restoring faith is first step for the stability of the governance. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Hardback Posted February 13, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2015 Who's the big cheese down in Surat Thani? - maybe he could shed some light on this. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post PREM-R Posted February 13, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2015 Hmm... Surat Thanishot dead by two gunmendispute with a large palm oil plantationThree other members of the community have been killed since 2010 So it seems the police should be looking for a person from Surat Thani who is involved in palm oil production and has access to the phone number of 'guns for hire'.. Now if the gun was carried in a 'pop corn' bag.....Hmmm. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post clockman Posted February 13, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) Justice, is a distant bell. Rarely heard in Thailand! Edited February 13, 2015 by clockman 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mrmicbkktxl Posted February 13, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) Hmm... Surat Thani shot dead by two gunmen dispute with a large palm oil plantation Three other members of the community have been killed since 2010 So it seems the police should be looking for a person from Surat Thani who is involved in palm oil production and has access to the phone number of 'guns for hire'.. Now if the gun was carried in a 'pop corn' bag.....Hmmm. Thought he is in temple Edited February 14, 2015 by metisdead Moved reply out of quoted post. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Beng Posted February 13, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2015 Justice, is a distant bell. Rarely heard in Thailand! Well said ! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artisi Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 While there is big money involved you can kiss justice good bye. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post binjalin Posted February 13, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2015 Justice, these days, depends on the colour of your shirt RIP and thank you for trying to do the 'right thing' 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Costas2008 Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Justice, is a distant bell. Rarely heard in Thailand! Justice, is was a distant bell. Started being heard more often nowadays in Thailand. I said started and hope it continuous being heard louder and louder as time goes by. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angiolo Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 no hope for Thailand. Human rights activists take care. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertthebruce Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Sad to say it was just a matter of Time... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenchair Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 So sad. ? can't see the killers being brought to justice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commerce Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 "He was shot three times and died instantly at the scene," Lieutenant Chawalit Thongma at the Chaiburi district police station told AFP, adding that investigators were focusing on his activism as the main motive for his killing." Was this a witness testimony? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rametindallas Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Thailand was afraid it was losing the battle against Cambodia as the 'hub' of murdering land activists. Right now it is, sad to say, a 'toss up' as to which country has the worst environment for citizen protests. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razer Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Obviously, Kuhn Chai Bunthonglek never went to Thainess classes and it cost him his life. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterStretch Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 "Despite the police investigation, no one has been brought to justice for these murders" Investigation? Investigation? Investigating who has the most money and "power" is more likely. Human rights and land rights be damned. This is Thailand. Human rights mean nothing compared to the power of profit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A1Str8 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 (edited) So when are authorities going to step up against these dumb little retards and stop allowing them to get away with murder. I mean just out of compassion since what goes around comes around, they aren't going to live long enough to spend the money they took from others anyway. Edited February 14, 2015 by A1Str8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikke Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Justice, is a distant bell. Rarely heard in Thailand! Justice, is was a distant bell. Started being heard more often nowadays in Thailand. I said started and hope it continuous being heard louder and louder as time goes by. Unfortunately it's like Binjalin say's , justice in Thailand is depending on the color of your shirt . And your so right, started..... but only at one color yet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowboat Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Justice, is a distant bell. Rarely heard in Thailand! Justice, is was a distant bell. Started being heard more often nowadays in Thailand. I said started and hope it continuous being heard louder and louder as time goes by. You will be the first to know i̶f̶ when proven wrong. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaunduhpostman Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 (edited) You really couldn't be blamed for wondering if Bangkok isn't playing with fire in their continual bullying of the south. I wonder if the government and other authorities ever consider that there are certain international Islamic radical movements afoot these days that may already see a righteous cause and get involved in Thailand? 4 activists being killed in the south in less than a year and no one prosecuted and probably no serious investigation does not help win people over to backing their country should the IS malaise ever land here and kick off. That the U.N. is on it, tells you something I think, they likely see a powder keg. Just my uninformed opinion, but you have to wonder, the attitude of arrogance and boot heel-ism seems worse and worse of an idea by the day regarding the south. Edited February 14, 2015 by Shaunduhpostman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godders Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Another victim of the ultimate attitude adjuster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lildragon Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Palm Oil land? Surat Thani? Isn't that racket run by a now monk who last year was very fond of his whistles? Just asking.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billd766 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Hmm... Surat Thani shot dead by two gunmen dispute with a large palm oil plantation Three other members of the community have been killed since 2010 So it seems the police should be looking for a person from Surat Thani who is involved in palm oil production and has access to the phone number of 'guns for hire'.. Now if the gun was carried in a 'pop corn' bag.....Hmmm. Attempting to spread rumours again? What a "nice" person you are. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baerboxer Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Justice, these days, depends on the colour of your shirt RIP and thank you for trying to do the 'right thing' Er sorry? So no land rights activists or similar were murdered or disappeared during the rule of Thaksin puppet regimes? Justice depends on your bank balance, family name and connections these days - just has it always has here. And, btw, it's getting that way in the West too - money equals a different kind of justice to the poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOTIRIOS Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 ....I thought this government promised to put an end to such crimes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nithisa78 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickirs Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 "Despite the police investigation, no one has been brought to justice for these murders," Hard to find Burmese immigrant workers in the area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nithisa78 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 ....I thought this government promised to put an end to such crimes.... One thought might implode your brain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Been There Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Justice, is a distant bell. Rarely heard in Thailand! Justice, is was a distant bell. Started being heard more often nowadays in Thailand. I said started and hope it continuous being heard louder and louder as time goes by. do you mean you have heard the bell of injustice ? ... nob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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