BANGKOK (AP) – Thai police announced on Wednesday that an arrest warrant has been issued for a man suspected of murdering Lim Kimya, a former Cambodian opposition politician, in a popular tourist area of Bangkok. Lim Kimya, an ex-lawmaker of the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party, was fatally shot near a temple close to Khaosan Road on Tuesday evening. He reportedly had just arrived at the scene with his wife by bus from Cambodia, as highlighted by the New York-based Human Rights Watch.
Siam Boonsom, the chief of Bangkok police, informed reporters that initial investigations suggest the gunman was hired to execute the shooting. It is believed that Lim Kimya was identified to the gunman by another person, who is also being pursued by the police. Siam refrained from offering further details due to the ongoing investigation. Thai media reports suggest that the suspect may be a former Thai marine, but Siam did not confirm this information, mentioning only that the suspected shooter has a criminal history related to financial matters.
Footage from security cameras shows the suspected gunman arriving on a motorbike. Three shots were fired before the assailant walked away as Lim Kimya collapsed. The attacker—who did not cover his face—then fled the scene on the motorbike.
The Cambodia National Rescue Party expressed profound shock and horror at the "brutal and inhumane assassination" of Lim Kimya, urging Thai authorities to rigorously investigate the crime and bring those responsible to justice. The party was anticipated to pose a strong challenge against the ruling Cambodian People’s Party of former Prime Minister Hun Sen in the 2018 general election. However, in a sweeping crackdown on opposition, the court dissolved the party, leading the ruling party to win every seat in the National Assembly.
Recent social media posts by Lim Kimya criticized the Cambodian government and its expenditure of state funds on events that lacked benefits for the Cambodian populace. Under Hun Sen’s nearly four-decade rule, Cambodia has faced widespread condemnation for human rights violations, including the suppression of free speech and association. Following Hun Sen's succession by his American-educated son, Hun Manet, in August 2023, there have been scant indications of political liberalization.
Phil Robertson, director of the Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates, remarked that the shooting bears “all the hallmarks of a political assassination” and signifies a notable escalation in transnational repression efforts occurring in Bangkok targeted at opposition forces to the ruling government. Cambodia's government has been accused on numerous occasions of misusing the judicial system to persecute dissenters and political adversaries. While the government claims to uphold the rule of law within an electoral democracy, parties perceived as significant challengers to the ruling party have faced dissolution through court rulings, as well as harassment and imprisonment of their leaders.
Interestingly, Lim Kimya's assassination coincided with a day when Hun Sen urged for the passage of a law that would categorize certain dissident activities as acts of terrorism. At an event marking the 46th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge's ousting—with Hun Sen seated alongside his son—he advocated for legislation that would label individuals aiming to overthrow Hun Manet's government as “terrorists.” This assertion raises further concerns over the Cambodian government's already notorious stance towards political dissent.
