Former Cambodian opposition politician shot dead in Bangkok – reports | Cambodia

A former Cambodian opposition MP and French citizen was shot dead Tuesday by a gunman riding a motorcycle in Bangkok, according to Thai media.

“Lim Kimya…died instantly. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau have launched a manhunt for the killer,” the Bangkok Post reported, adding that the deceased had dual Cambodian and French nationality.

Thai police confirmed the death of a Cambodian man without identifying him as Lim Kimya, telling Agence France-Presse: “We are currently investigating the motives and will provide more information later.”

Several Thai media outlets reported that a gunman on a motorcycle opened fire on Lim Kimya as he arrived in the Thai capital from the Cambodian city of Siem Reap by bus, accompanied by his French wife and an uncle. Cambodian.

An AFP photojournalist saw blood at the scene, near the popular Khao San Road district of Bangkok.

“The French government must actively seek justice for its citizen, Lim Kimya, and spare no effort in pressuring the Thai government to effectively and thoroughly investigate this assassination, no matter where the path leads,” he said. said Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights. Labor defenders.

A Cambodian government spokesperson did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.

Lim Kimya, 74, was elected an opposition member of Cambodia’s parliament after a 2013 general election in which the ruling party led by former leader Hun Sen nearly lost to his then-rival, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).

The CNRP, founded in 2012 by opposition leaders Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha and once considered the only viable opponent to the ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP), was dissolved by court order in 2017.

Many opposition politicians and MPs, including Lim Kimya, were banned from political activities following the party’s dissolution.

Rights groups have accused Hun Sen – who ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades before stepping down in 2023 and handing power to his eldest son, Hun Manet – of using the legal system to crush any opposition to his reign.

Many opposition politicians and activists were convicted and imprisoned during his tenure, with opponents forced to flee and free speech stifled.

The Cambodian government has always denied that the charges against political and environmental activists are politically motivated.

Kem Sokha was arrested and sentenced in 2023 to 27 years in prison for treason – a charge he repeatedly denied – and was immediately placed under house arrest.

Sam Rainsy lives in exile in France.

Although he holds French nationality, Lim Kimya did not join the dozens of lawmakers who fled abroad after Kem Sokha’s arrest.

Lim Kimya then declared to AFP in Phnom Penh: “I will never give up politics.”