Eight years ago, Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen, went missing in Phetchaburi province in western Thailand. The Karen activist was last seen alive in Kaeng Krachan National Park before he was arrested by the park’s chief for allegedly collecting wild honey. No one saw Billy again after his arrest. In 2019, DNA from bone fragments found in the national park matched samples belonging to Billy’s mother which led the Department of Special Investigation to conclude that Billy was murdered. Eight years on, no one has been prosecuted for Billy’s death.
On April 17 2014, national park superintendent Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn and four other park officials unlawfully arrested Billy for allegedly collecting wild honey in the forest. Billy had previously filed a lawsuit against Chaiwat for allegedly burning houses and evicting 20 Karen families from the park’s Pong Luk Bang Kloy village, three years earlier in 2011. The five men testified in court that they had nothing to do with Billy’s disappearance.
Billy’s wife Phinnapha Phreuksaphan submitted a letter to the DSI to investigate her husband’s disappearance. She explained to the DSI that Billy had assisted villagers in filing a lawsuit against Chaiwat, therefore he and other park officials might be involved in Billy’s unlawful detention and subsequent disappearance.
In 2019, the DSI found bone fragments in an oil barrel at the bottom of a reservoir in the national park which matched the DNA of samples taken from Billy’s mother, leading them to conclude Billy was murdered. In December that year, arrest warrants were issued for Chaiwat and three others on suspicion that they murdered Billy.
Chaiwait and three others were charged with six counts: premeditated murder, unlawful detention, physical assault, robbery, body concealment and malfeasance. They surrendered to police and were released on 800,000 baht bail each in December 2019.
In 2020, the murder charges were dropped against the four men, leaving them with only minor offences.
Pranom Somwong, a representative of Protection International Thailand, told Thai Enquirer…
“When we talk about Billy’s disappearance, we should also remember the violence against his community, the ethnic Karen villagers who were forcibly evicted from their homes.”
Billy is one of many Thai activists who have disappeared under suspicious circumstances. According to Amnesty Thailand, at least 59 human rights activists have been victims of forced disappearances since 1998.
Pranom described the fate of another Karen activist…
“We need to remember that in the same area, Taksamol Aobaom was shot dead on a highway on 10 September 2011. He was a lawyer campaigning against the ill practices of officials of the Kaeng Krachan National Park against an ethnic Karen community living inside the park.”
Perpetrators who murder indigenous land rights activists often go unpunished and the state fails to ensure that such disappearances and acts of violence are brought to justice, added Pranom.
Independent film director Pimpaka Towira produced a 30 minute film inspired by Billy’s disappearance entitled, “The Purple Kingdom,” which was released in 2016.
SOURCE: Thai Enquirer