“The shooter stated that he had accepted the job as a way of repaying a debt of gratitude to someone who had assisted him during a difficult period after he was dismissed from the navy,” explained Attaporn Wongsiripreeda, a senior police official based in Bangkok. According to some reports from Thai media outlets, he was allegedly compensated with 60,000 baht ($1,700), but Attaporn disclosed to a local broadcaster that Ekkalak, the shooter, denied receiving any payment. When pressed for further details by AFP, Attaporn declined to provide additional information.
Another senior police official announced on Saturday that an arrest warrant had been issued for an accomplice from Cambodia. Over recent years, numerous Cambodian opposition activists have sought refuge in Thailand to evade perceived oppression in their home country. Some individuals were detained and subsequently repatriated.
Cambodia was under the authoritarian rule of Hun Sen for nearly four decades, during which rights groups accused him of exploiting the legal system to suppress opposition. While Hun Sen relinquished power to his son Hun Manet in 2023, he continues to wield significant influence in the nation. Hun Sen recently proposed legislation designating those attempting to overthrow the government led by his son as “terrorists.”
The Cambodia National Rescue Party condemned the “brutal and inhumane assassination,” urging Thai authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. The party had anticipated posing a formidable challenge to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party in the 2018 general election. However, in a broad crackdown on opposition parties before the election, the high court dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party, leading to the ruling party securing all seats in the National Assembly.
Recent social media posts by Lim Kimya criticized the government for allegedly frivolous spending of state funds on events that did not benefit the Cambodian populace. During Hun Sen’s lengthy tenure, Cambodia faced widespread censure for human rights violations, including the suppression of freedoms of speech and association. Despite his son, Hun Manet, assuming power in August 2023 after Hun Sen’s reign, there have been minimal indications of political liberalization.
Phil Robertson, the director of Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates, described the shooting as bearing the hallmarks of a political assassination, highlighting a significant escalation in the deployment of transnational repression in Bangkok to intimidate government opposition. The Associated Press contributed to this report.”
