Thailand's prime minister faced a barrage of criticism yesterday following the assassination of a leading environmentalist -- the 16th activist to be murdered during his reign.
Charoen Wattaksorn, 37, was fatally shot by an unidentified assailant in the southern Prachuab Khiri Khan province Monday, hours after he testified before a parliamentary committee investigating corruption in a land deal involving a scrapped power project.
The killing sparked widespread outrage with critics accusing Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's administration of turning a blind eye to attacks against civic activists.
At least 16 human rights workers, environmentalists, farming advocates and other activists have been killed since Thaksin took power three-and-a-half years ago.
"This is the first time in history that at least 16 activists have been killed during the reign of one government," opposition Senator Niran Pitakwatch said. "The government must do something ... otherwise people will live in a state of fear like a police state."
He said if authorities don't crack down immediately on those responsible for the killings, it will encourage "local influential figures to conspire brazenly to kill."
The independent Thai Post newspaper described the killings of the 16 as a "black period'' in Thailand's history.
Thaksin yesterday hailed Charoen as "a brave man who fought for the interest of public," and said he had ordered the police to investigate the killing.
But critics dismissed his comments.
"It is obvious that the lives of ordinary people who have a conflict with influential figures or who obstruct any development project are at a risk," said Pairoj Polpetch, secretary general of the Civil Liberty Union.
Thaksin has long been criticized for his administration's handling of human rights abuses.
Last year, the prime minister declared war on drugs, but the campaign left about 2,500 people dead. The government dismissed allegations of extra-judicial slayings by police, insisting most victims were drug gang members killed in internecine fighting.
Meanwhile, Charoen's wife, Korn-uma, told reporters that if the government does not catch her husband's killer within 100 days she will cremate his body in front of the Government House in Bangkok.
"Sixteen activists have already killed during the reign of this government. They should not die in vain," she said.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was