BANGKOK – The trial of an alleged gunman accused of murdering former Cambodian opposition politician Lim Kimya opened on September 30 in Bangkok, as his widow demanded justice and full accountability over the killing that has shaken Cambodia’s exiled opposition community.
Lim, a 73-year-old French national and former MP, was shot dead on January 7 by a motorcyclist outside his residence in the Thai capital. Thai citizen Ekkalak Paenoi was arrested a day later in neighboring Cambodia and handed over to Thai authorities. He now faces a charge of premeditated murder after confessing in a live-stream video.
Speaking outside the court while carrying her late husband’s portrait, Anne-Marie Lim said her greatest wish was to uncover who orchestrated the assassination. “I want to know the reason for this crime and who ordered it. That’s what I want to know most of all,” she said, describing her husband as a “hero” who had dedicated his life to defending the Cambodian people.
Opposition figures have pointed to former Cambodian strongman Hun Sen, who led the country for nearly four decades until 2023, though both he and current Prime Minister Hun Manet have denied any government role in the killing. Rights groups have long accused Hun Sen of silencing opponents through the courts.
Also on trial is Thai national Chakrit Buakhil, alleged to have driven Ekkalak to the border after the shooting. Thai authorities have identified two Cambodian nationals, Ly Ratanakrasksmey and Pich Kimsrin, as suspects in masterminding and facilitating the crime. One of them, Ratanakrasksmey, had briefly served as an adviser to Hun Sen before being dismissed in March 2024.While the confessed gunman is expected to be convicted, Ms. Lim’s lawyers expressed concern that the deeper motives and masterminds may never face justice. “Our concern is that we might not get to the bottom of why the assassination happened,” attorney Nadthasiri Bergman told VAN.