A Thai court has sentenced Ekkalak Paenoi to life in prison for the killing of Lim Kimya, a notable Cambodian opposition politician, in Bangkok. The incident occurred in January shortly after Lim arrived in the Thai capital with his wife, where he was shot in public. Following the attack, Ekkalak fled to Cambodia, where he was apprehended and subsequently deported to Thailand.
Initially, Ekkalak was sentenced to death, but this was later commuted to life imprisonment due to his confession. The court’s ruling raised questions regarding the motive behind Lim’s killing, which remains unclear, though it is widely believed to be politically motivated. Lim Kimya held dual Cambodian and French nationality and was a former member of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which had made significant gains against the ruling party in Cambodia’s 2013 elections.
The Cambodian government, led by Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took over from his father Hun Sen in 2023, has denied any involvement in Lim’s death. Lim’s political party was disbanded in 2017 amid accusations of treason, and opposition figures often face harassment in Cambodia.
Evidence presented during the trial included security footage showing Ekkalak parking his motorbike and calmly crossing the street moments before the shooting. In addition to the murder charge, he was convicted for carrying and using a firearm and ordered to pay approximately $55,000 to Lim’s family. A second defendant, accused of driving Ekkalak to the Cambodian border, was cleared of charges due to lack of evidence of his involvement in the crime.
Lim Kimya’s widow expressed a degree of satisfaction with the verdict but continued to seek answers about the motives behind the assassination. She emphasized the need for authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter. In recent years, many activists from Cambodia and neighboring countries have faced significant risks, including deportation and violence, raising concerns about cross-border cooperation among security forces.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c740yj8g1p2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss