In response to the shooting death of Cambodian-French former opposition lawmaker Lim Kimya in Bangkok, Amnesty International’s Interim Regional Research Director Kate Schütze said:
“The illegal killing of former opposition lawmaker Lim Kimya, who was a vocal critic of the Cambodian government, is extremely worrying.
“While the circumstances are not yet clear, his death comes as Cambodian authorities continue to silence opposition voices and violate human rights in Cambodia and abroad, including in Thailand.
“The Thai government must immediately launch a fair, thorough and transparent investigation into the murder of Rim Kimya, and bring the perpetrators to justice through a fair trial process without resorting to the death penalty.
“Thai authorities should comply with their obligations under international law to ensure the safety of all individuals within their territory, including critics of the Cambodian government.”
background
According to media reports, on January 7, 2025, a gunman shot and killed Lim Kimya, a Cambodian-French former opposition lawmaker, as he arrived in Bangkok by bus from Siem Reap, Cambodia, with his wife and uncle. Thai authorities have reportedly issued an arrest warrant for a former Thai navy marine in connection with the crime.
Lim Kimya was elected as an opposition lawmaker for the Cambodian People’s Rescue Party in 2013. He remained in Cambodia even after the party was banned in 2017.
Cambodian opposition members, including supporters and members of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and other banned opposition parties, face human rights abuses at home and abroad, and many have been imprisoned.
In the run-up to Cambodia’s 2023 elections, political opponents of the ruling party have been harassed, threatened, assaulted and jailed in mass trials. Party activists have been attacked repeatedly with metal batons on the streets, and one political activist was stabbed to death in 2021 in what many believe was a targeted attack.
Cambodian activists abroad have reported violent repression in Thailand, including intimidation, harassment, surveillance, and forced return to Cambodia by the Thai government. Most recently, six adult refugees and one five-year-old child were forcibly returned to Cambodia from Thailand on November 25, 2024.
Across Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, local opposition leaders, activists, and human rights defenders seeking refuge face abductions, enforced disappearances, killings, persecution, and other serious human rights violations. facing deportation to a place where they are
Amnesty International and other civil society organizations have repeatedly called on governments in the region and other members of the international community to take action to stem this growing wave of transnational repression. Authorities, including the governments of Thailand and Cambodia, reiterate their obligations under international human rights law to conduct prompt, thorough, impartial and independent investigations and to hold individuals accountable for suspected crimes and other serious human rights violations. I’ve been neglecting it.
