Cambodian-French MP assassinated in Bangkok, Thai gunman at large
A former Cambodian-French opposition Member of Parliament was assassinated in Bangkok yesterday, January 7. The gunman, identified as a former soldier in the Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC), remains at large.
Officers from Chana Songkhram Police Station were alerted to a shooting on a traffic island opposite the popular tourist attraction Bowonniwet Vihara Temple in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district at around 6pm.
Upon arrival, officers found the prostrate 73 year old Cambodian-Frenchman, Lim Kimya with two gunshot wounds to his chest and right shoulder. Rescue workers attempted to administer CPR at the scene but were unable to save him.
CCTV footage revealed that the gunman parked his motorcycle, dismounted, and shot Lim twice before fleeing the scene on his motorbike. The suspect was wearing a grey T-shirt, jeans, and a motorcycle helmet. His vehicle was reported to be a red Honda Wave 100i with the registration plate 845.
Lim reportedly arrived in Bangkok by bus from Siem Reap, Cambodia, with his French wife and Cambodian uncle shortly before the attack.
Lim was a prominent member of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which opposed Hun Sen, a former army general and current President of the Senate.
The CNRP was dissolved after opposing the government, and over 100 of its members were banned from holding political positions for five years. Many members went into exile, while others, including Lim, chose to remain in Cambodia quietly for safety reasons.
Despite holding French nationality and being able to travel to France for safety, Lim opted to stay. He vowed in an interview with AFP that he would never abandon his political journey.
Lim’s wife was taken to the police station for questioning. The motive for the assassination remains under investigation. However, police have identified the gunman as a Thai man named Ekkaluck Paenoi, a former RTMC officer.
Ekkaluck faces charges of premeditated murder and carrying a weapon in public without permission. If convicted, he could face a life sentence.
Ekkaluck is still at large, and the statute of limitations for this case is 20 years.
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