Cambodian ex-MP’s killer jailed for life in Thailand

A Thai gunman was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the murder of a Cambodian opposition politician in Bangkok, with the former lawmaker’s widow left questioning who ordered the killing.

French national Lim Kimya, a former opposition parliamentarian in Cambodia, was shot dead on January 7 by Ekkalak Paenoi as the ex-MP arrived in the Thai capital with his wife.

Cambodian opposition figures have accused the country’s powerful former leader, Hun Sen, of ordering the shooting, and Lim Kimya’s widow called this week for a full accounting of who was behind it.

Ekkalak faced a potential death sentence in Thailand for premeditated murder, but a judge said Friday that the Bangkok court reduced his sentence to life imprisonment since he confessed.

The Thai man was arrested in neighbouring Cambodia a day after the shooting and admitted to murdering a livestream video.

The trial began just three days ago with an examination of witnesses, including Lim Kimya’s widow, Anne-Marie Lim.

“Anne-Marie is probably satisfied with today’s verdict, but she is still questioning who ordered the crime,” her lawyer Nadhthasiri Bergman told reporters outside the court on Friday.

“She wants authorities to get to the bottom of it.”

Lim, who is also French, attended the opening of the trial on Tuesday, telling AFP that she wanted to know the “reason for this crime and who ordered it.”

– ‘Full justice’ –

Bergman said Friday that they knew there were additional suspects in Cambodia, and the Thai government “could help push the extradition process to bring them to justice”.

The judge did not offer details about the killer’s motive or a possible mastermind behind the murder.

Thai police said in January that they were also seeking to arrest a Cambodian national believed to be behind the killing.

They identified two Cambodian suspects: Ly Ratanakrasksmey, accused of having recruited the gunman, and Pich Kimsrin, the alleged lookout who local media has reported was on the bus alongside the victim and his wife.