29-9-2023 (BANGKOK) A Thai court in Bangkok dropped murder charges against four national park officials involved in the disappearance of environmental activist Porlajee Rakchongcharoen, also known as Billy, nearly a decade ago. However, one official was sentenced to jail for a lesser offense.
This development marks a significant twist in a lengthy legal saga surrounding the case. Billy, an ethnic Karen leader, vanished in 2014 while working on a lawsuit that accused officials of demolishing homes in Kaeng Krachan National Park.
The investigation focused on Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn, the former park chief and the last person to have seen Billy alive. He was initially indicted for murder last year, but the charges were subsequently dropped in 2020, sparking public outcry. The Central Criminal Court for Corruption, however, decided against prosecuting any of the officials for murder and acquitted three of them. Chaiwat was sentenced to three years in prison for malfeasance.
The court cited insufficient evidence to proceed with the murder charges, leading to disappointment and frustration among Billy’s family and their legal representative, lawyer Pornpen Khongkachonkiet. She expressed their intention to appeal, emphasizing that regardless of Billy’s fate, his forced disappearance constituted a violation of basic human rights.
Billy’s wife, Pinnapa Preuksapan, shed tears outside the court, revealing her ongoing struggle over the past decade to uncover the truth about her husband’s whereabouts. Chaiwat is believed to be the last person who saw Billy before the activist was detained for allegedly collecting honey illegally. Chaiwat has consistently denied any involvement and claimed he released Billy.
In 2019, divers discovered charred skull fragments inside an oil drum in the park’s reservoir, alongside scattered bones in the surrounding area. Through DNA analysis, investigators confirmed that the remains belonged to Billy. However, the attorney general’s office deemed this evidence insufficient to definitively identify the remains in 2020.
Two years later, following international pressure, authorities reversed their decision and announced plans to indict Chaiwat. Despite these efforts, Amnesty International’s regional researcher Chanatip Tatiyakaroonwong condemned the recent court ruling, expressing disappointment on behalf of the family, who have fought for justice for nearly a decade.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about the safety of environmental and Indigenous activists in Thailand. Rights campaigners have accused officials of employing harassment and violence to displace indigenous communities. The United Nations has documented over 80 cases of enforced disappearances in Thailand since 1980, underscoring the challenges faced by those advocating for environmental and human rights in the country.
