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Sister of abducted govt critic has little hope he is alive


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Sister of abducted govt critic has little hope he is alive

By THE NATION

 

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A protest on Friday (June 5) against the abduction of a Thai activist in Cambodia prompted a police warning that the gathering was a violation of the Covid-19 emergency decree. No arrest was made.

 

A group of protesters gathered on the Bangkok Skywalk in Pathumwan district on Friday over the abduction of Wanchalearm Satsaksit, 37, a bitter critic of the Thai government led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha. Wanchalearm was living in self-exile in Cambodia and was reportedly abducted by unknown persons from outside an apartment building in Phnom Penh on June 4.

 

The protest rally was led by Parit Chiwarak, a former president of the Student Union of Thailand.

 

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Parit (center)

 

Police advised the protesters to avoid public gatherings to prevent the spread of Covid-19 while dispatching officers around the area to monitor the situation. Protest leaders took turns to give speeches and dispersed from the area around 5.45pm after placing roses in front of Wanchalearm’s portrait.

 

Sitanan Satsaksit, 47, sister of Wanchalearm told BBC Thai that she had spoken to him on the phone on Thursday evening as Wanchalearm left his flat to purchase food. “I can’t breathe” were the activist’s final words before the conversation abruptly ended.

 

Security camera footage from the apartment reportedly showed a Honda Highlander sedan departing at the time Wanchalearm disappeared.

 

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Wanchalearm Satsaksit/Photo Credit: Amnesty International

 

“On May 13, there were six police officers who visited my mother’s house in Ubon Ratchathani asking where Wanchalearm was,” she added. “My mum told them she had no idea where he was, as we never visit him in Cambodia after he left Thailand six years ago.”

 

Wanchalearm is wanted in Thailand for allegedly violating the Computer Crimes Act by running an acerbic anti-government Facebook page.

 

Sitanan added that her brother left the country after the 2014 coup d’etat and lived in several countries for two years before settling in Cambodia, as their family has an acquaintance there who could give him advice on doing business in Cambodia.

 

Sitanan said that she had very little hopes her brother was still alive.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389165

 

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-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-07
 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Traubert said:

What will you do if he pops up midweek?

The only chance of him popping up mid week is if the concrete overcoat didn't do the intended job!

Condolences to the family but I fear the sister is correct.

 

Edited by hotchilli
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Well you have to be severely pulling the wool over your eyes to not think this was a snatch job.

 

We all know, even those that try to tell themselves otherwise, this current regime is not a lot different to Saudi Arabia, or Putin's Russia where dissidents home or abroad can and will be 'silenced'

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5 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I would think the Cambodian authorities will have either been complicit or at least known about the abduction. 

Yeah. If they didn't want it to be super duper extra obvious, when asked about it after his disappearance, they might have come up with something better than, "What crime? There's no crime? We're not investigating because we aren't aware of anything. Probably fake news planted by HRW."

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I'm surprised that those who support these activists take all the abuse and these deaths so well. In a lot of countries, when the fascists do something like this, the result is one of theirs disappearing too. I'm sure the thugs who did this and their supporters are having another party, maybe another military-themed dress up or some other similar theme. I don't see this ending until the people fight back.

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I share her fears, plenty of people have gone 'missing' in the last century or so, or ended up oil drums, ditches or a river. And it will continue to happen unless those behind this are removed from the equation. They wear fancy suits (and fancy pants perhaps?). 

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12 hours ago, Traubert said:

Very fertile imagination there.

 

What will you do if he pops up midweek?

You mean like the corpse floating  up from the bottom of the river, or a  corpse found in a shallow grave by locals foraging for mushrooms?

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21 hours ago, Hayduke said:

 

This Covid-19 (aka Wuhan Flu) emergency decree is certainly becoming a wonderful new tool to persecute/prosecute enemies of the government...all in the grand, noble, altruistic name of public health.

 

"Yes, we had to kidnap and murder him....but it was because he was a criminal who failed to love Uncle. By the way, if you object to this we'll have to quarantine you in an unmarked grave...to protect public health."

 

Stand by for some bizarre, convoluted excuse to make this a permanent fixture of military rule.

 

 

 

You nailed it

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On 6/7/2020 at 9:29 AM, BritManToo said:

Don't think it was anything to do with Cambodian authorities.

This was a Thai hit against a Thai dissident.

Do you know what? I really believe you that yours intentions to move to Cambodia are very serious.

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