A former Cambodian opposition lawmaker and French national was shot dead by a man on a motorbike in Bangkok on Tuesday, according to Thai media.
“Lim Kimya…died at the scene. Police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department have launched a search for the assassin,” the Bangkok Post reported, adding that the deceased was a dual citizen of Cambodia and France.
Thai police confirmed the Cambodian man's death without identifying him as Lim Kimya, telling Agence France-Presse that they were “currently investigating the motive and will provide further information in due course.”
Several Thai media reported that a gunman on a motorbike opened fire on Lim Kimya, who arrived in the Thai capital by bus from Siem Reap, Cambodia, with his French wife and Cambodian uncle.
An AFP photojournalist spotted bloodstains at the scene near Khao San Road, a popular area in Bangkok.
Phil Robertson, Director of Human Rights Asia, said: “The French government is actively pursuing justice for its citizen Rim Kimiyah and will do everything in its power to pressure the Thai government to effectively and thoroughly investigate this assassination. I need to hang on,” he said. Labor advocacy group.
A Cambodian government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.
Lim Kimiya, 74, was elected as an opposition member of Cambodia's parliament after former leader Hun Sen's ruling party nearly lost to its then-rival Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in a 2013 popular vote. .
The CNRP was founded in 2012 by opposition leaders Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha and was once seen as the only viable challenger to the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), but in 2017 it was banned by a court order. was disbanded by.
A number of opposition politicians and members of parliament, including Lim Kimya, were banned from political activities after the party was disbanded.
Human rights groups say Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly 40 years before stepping down and handing power to his eldest son Hun Manet in 2023, used the legal system to crush opponents of his rule. It is criticized as such.
During his time in power, numerous opposition politicians and activists were convicted and imprisoned, challengers were forced to flee, and freedom of expression was suppressed.
The Cambodian government has always denied that the charges against political and environmental activists are politically motivated.
Kem Sokha was arrested and sentenced to 27 years in prison for treason in 2023, a charge he has repeatedly denied and was immediately placed under house arrest.
Sam Rainsy is in exile in France.
Despite holding French citizenship, Lim Kimya did not join the dozens of MPs who fled the country after Kem Sokha's arrest.
“I will never give up on politics,” Lim Kimya told AFP in Phnom Penh at the time.
