Responding to the shooting death of former Cambodian-French opposition lawmaker Lim Kimya in Bangkok, Thailand, Kate Schuetze, Amnesty International’s interim deputy regional director for research, said:
“The unlawful killing of former opposition lawmaker Lim Kimya, an outspoken critic of the Cambodian government, is deeply shocking.
“While the circumstances remain unclear, his death comes as Cambodian authorities continue to suppress 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 Lin Keiya and bring the perpetrators to justice through a fair trial process rather than resorting to the death penalty.
“Thai authorities should fulfill 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 former opposition lawmaker of Cambodian origin and French descent, when Kimya arrived in Bangkok from Siem Reap, Cambodia, by bus with his wife and uncle. Thai authorities have reportedly issued an arrest warrant for a former Thai marine in connection with the case.
Lim Kimya was elected as an opposition member of the Cambodian People’s Rescue Party in 2013.
Members of Cambodia’s political opposition, 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, with many imprisoned.
In the run-up to Cambodia’s 2023 elections, political opponents of the ruling party have been harassed, intimidated, beaten and imprisoned in mass trials. Party activists have been repeatedly attacked with metal batons on the streets, including one political activist who was stabbed to death in 2021 in what many believed was a targeted attack.
Cambodian activists abroad have reportedly been subject to violent repression in Thailand, including threats, harassment, surveillance, and the Thai government forcing them to return to Cambodia. The most recent incident was on November 25, 2024, when six adult refugees and a five-year-old child were forcibly returned to Cambodia from Thailand.
Across Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, regional opposition figures, activists and human rights defenders seeking asylum face abductions, enforced disappearances, killings and forced return to places where they face persecution and other serious human rights violations.
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 the growing wave of transnational repression. Authorities such as the Thai and Cambodian governments have repeatedly failed to meet their obligations under international human rights law to conduct prompt, thorough, impartial and independent investigations and to hold individuals suspected of crimes and other serious human rights violations accountable.
