Fourth Journalist Gunned Down in Thailand

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand – On October 5th, another regional journalist was gunned down in Thailand. Wallop Bounsampop was the editor of Den Siam, a local newspaper in Chonburi province in the south of Bangkok. Wallop is the fourth journalist to be murdered this year.

Wallop was murdered in a motorcyle drive-by shooting when he was helping his wife at a local restruant. Two men on a motorcyle dorve by and shot at Wallop five times hitting him twice and killing him instantly.

Wallop was an active member of the district council, and he was reporting on corruption of local politicians. Some allege his murder was linked to the controversial articles written about his opponents who are scheduled to run against him in elections next month.

Only a month earlier, Jaruek Rangcharoen, a regional correspondent for the Bangkok-based Matichon Daily, was gunned down in the central province of Suphanburi. Like Wallop, Rangcharoen was reporting on local politicians. Rangcharoen’s case is still unresolved. However, police said they have a few witnesses that could lead to descriptions to key suspects.

The string on voilence against journalist in Thailand has led to a public outcry. Reporters without Borders said, “We call on the police and judicial authorities to give themselves the means to deal with it,” and “If no real progress is made in solving these four cases, more journalists are likely to be killed at a time when Thailand is still embroiled in a political crisis.”

For more information, please see:

Guardian – Fourth Thai Journalist Murdered – 8 October 2008

Interesting Times – Murder of Journalist Raise Death Toll to 4 in 2008 in Thailand – 8 October 2008

Reporters without Borders – Local Newspaper Editor Gunned Down, Fourth Journalist Murdered This Year – 7 October 2008

Author: Impunity Watch Archive