Wed Jan 08 06:50:37 UTC 2025: **Bangkok Police Issue Warrant for Murder of Cambodian Ex-Lawmaker**
BANGKOK, Thailand (January 8, 2025) – Thai police have issued an arrest warrant for the suspected killer of Lim Kimya, a former Cambodian lawmaker from the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), who was shot dead in Bangkok on Tuesday. The shooting occurred near a temple close to Khaosan Road, a popular tourist area. According to initial investigations by Bangkok police chief Siam Boonsom, the killing appears to be a contract hit, with Lim Kimya potentially identified to the gunman by an accomplice, who is also being sought.
Security camera footage shows the suspect, possibly a former Thai marine with a financial crime record, arriving and leaving the scene on a motorbike. Three shots were fired, and the suspect, who did not conceal his face, calmly fled after Lim Kimya collapsed.
The CNRP has condemned the assassination as “brutal and inhumane,” urging Thai authorities for a thorough investigation. The party, which was dissolved in 2018 ahead of elections, was a significant opposition force to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). Lim Kimya’s recent Facebook posts were critical of the Cambodian government’s spending.
Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates, have described the assassination as a possible “political assassination” and an escalation of transnational repression aimed at silencing opposition to the Cambodian government, which has a history of suppressing dissent.
The killing occurred on the same day that Cambodian Senate head Hun Sen, the former Prime Minister, called for a new law to label certain dissident actions as terrorism. This call came during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the Khmer Rouge’s fall.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about human rights and political freedoms in Cambodia, even under the new leadership of Hun Manet. The Thai police investigation is ongoing.
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