Amnesty calls on Thailand to reopen Investigation into activist's murder

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Amnesty Calls on Thailand to Reopen Investigation into Activist's Murder
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Slain environmental activist Charoen Wat-aksorn in an undated file photo. Photo: The Seub Nakhasathien Foundation

BANGKOK — Amnesty International called on Thai authorities Wednesday to reopen the investigation into three former officials after the Supreme Court upheld their acquittal in the 2004 murder of environmental activist Charoen Wat-aksorn.

The rights group urged Thailand to deliver justice in the case after the court ruled there was insufficient evidence to link the three men – a provincial administrator and his two sons – to the assassination of the 37-year-old pineapple farmer, who was shot to death in 2004 after successfully campaigning to stop the construction of two coal-fired power plants in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan.

“The failure of the authorities to provide redress for Charoen and his family is a tragic development in a long battle for justice for him and other human rights defenders in Thailand,” the statement read. “Amnesty International renews its calls on authorities to take measures to protect all human rights defenders from attack and ensure that those responsible for crimes against them are brought to justice.”

The Supreme Court Tuesday upheld a 2013 Appeals Court judgment acquitting three local authorities who had been accused of plotting the murder: provincial administrator Monosh Hinkaew, former Bo Nok sub-district headman Juea Hinkaew, and local lawyer Thanu Hinkaew.

Two confessed hit men had said they were hired by the three defendants; however, they both died in custody in 2006 before they could testify against them.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1444893492


-- Khaosod English 2015-10-15

[clockman]

Typical dead men, tell no tales.! How many more tales like this?

[Equalizer]

WOW what more do you need to know!!!

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

the rich getting away with murder again and all because the the corrupt and inept BIB. Not much new here. TIT

Fire them all and start over!!!!

[worgeordie]

I was thinking which one,there have been so many over the years,

most which go unsolved,stand up for whats right,and you will get

knocked down.

regards Worgeordie

[chainarong]

Typical dead men, tell no tales.! How many more tales like this?

Plenty

[chainarong]

Trying to find justice in Thailand for some is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack , you might find it, then you might not, presently the family of Billy and the Human rights lawyer are both looking for answers, they both disappeared , one of Thailand's more permanent answers for those who get to close or know to much

[clockman]

No change. T.I.T. one day the world will know. Everything will come crashing down. The sooner the better.

[Broeno]

Land of many Khuṇchāy capones.

[phycokiller]

unfortuneately no one in Thailand has the leadership to deal with minor details like justice

[EnglishJohn]

... And where is the disgraceful 'Human Rights Watch' of Thailand ?.

They should have been chasing causes like this instead of only ever playing their red-shirt political games while stealing the banner 'human rights' from someone who might actually do something to help people.

I hope all concerned feel embarrassed that it's taken Amnesty International to try and do something about it.

[Acharn]

I was thinking which one,there have been so many over the years,

most which go unsolved,stand up for whats right,and you will get

knocked down.

regards Worgeordie

Yup. What I was gonna say. I think there are quite a few that we never even hear about, because the newspapers don't report them. Then there are the cases where somebody goes missing and is never heard of again.