Environmental activists in east on guard after 'contract hit'
In the wake of this week's killing of an activist who was campaigning against illegal waste disposal in Chachoengsao'ss Phanom Sarakham district, police have warned other activists, as well as academics helping them, against travelling alone while the i
On Monday, Prajob Naowa-ophas, a village head in tambon Nong Nae, became the second victim of an apparent campaign of violence against people trying to stop firms that allegedly run illegal operations to dispose of toxic industrial waste.
An academic, who asked not to be named, said Prajob’s death was not the result of a personal conflict with a single waste-disposal plant. Rather, he said, it was ordered by many firms that jointly paid for a contract killing. “Many [waste-disposal] firms are run by the same influential people,” he said.
Chachoengsao and seven other provinces in the East and areas to the north of it are experiencing environmental problems, as a large number of factories have reportedly failed to follow industrial-safety standards by treating toxic discharge within their compounds before having it buried at dump sites. Garbage-disposal firms are accused of making the situation worse by using substandard disposal methods, exposing locals to contamination.
The contamination resulting from illegal substandard disposal methods by these companies is nothing new to Nong Nae residents. An activist fight against such practices was shot dead three years ago, allegedly in a similar contract killing. Local police have made little progress in solving the case. Before his death last Monday, Prajob was instrumental in rallying support against the firms among locals while lodging a number of court cases, one of which resulted in the recent closure of a company.
Sunant Nit, a local politician, said he learned that the hit team that killed Prajob was based in Chon Buri’s Phanat Nikhom district and was paid Bt300,000. A few days before he was gunned down, Prajob gave a statement to public prosecutors, who recommended that the case against an unidentified firm be reopened, Sunant said.
Jorn Naowa-ophas, a local politician and older brother of Prajob, said Prajob had been aware of the death order and had tried to be vigilant, especially after a group of strangers came three months ago and asked locals for details of his appearance. “Prajob’s body will not be cremated until his murder is solved,” Jorn said.
