Governor urges swift action on murder

PA KLOCK: Phuket Provincial Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi this morning visited the site where environmental activist Jurin Rachapol was shot dead yesterday. He urged the Thalang police to find the gunman quickly and to conduct their investigation as fairly and thoroughly as possible. Gov Pongpayome was accompanied on his visit by Pol Maj Gen Kongpol Suwannaraks, Commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, and by the superintendent of Thalang Police Station. A villager, who asked not to be named, told the Gazette that the villagers plan to give the Governor and the police seven days to find the gunman and show him to them. Failing that, the source said, the villagers will not allow the victim’s cremation to go ahead, and may form a mob to press for swift action. The villager said that before K. Jurin was murdered, an unidentified man had told a member of staff in a local karaoke bar that he would kill any environmental activist who threatened his job. Pol Capt Anan Jengjit of Thalang Police Station told the Gazette, “We haven’t summonsed any suspects yet because we are still collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.” He added that this phase of the investigation might take up to a week. K. Jurin was one of about 100 activists in the village who oppose the establishment of a prawn farm in protected mangrove forest nearby. Villagers say that the killing and the earlier attempted murder of another activist, Siripoj Cheechang, has resulted in a climate of fear in the village. The man accused of the attack on K. Siripoj, prawn farm worker Buncha Noppawong from Songkhla, was released on bail recently, pending his trial on charges of attempted murder.