A leader of southern landless communities was shot dead after leading a campaign against a private oil palm plantation allegedly using land given to the communities.
Somsuk Kohklang, a 50-year-old land rights village activist from the southern province of Krabi was shot dead on Wednesday afternoon while driving a motorcycle with his wife in an oil palm plantation in Muang District of Krabi.
Somsuk, a village leader who was active in advocating land rights for landless communities in Krabi, earlier took part in leading villagers to press the state officials to check a land concession of about 2,000 acres, given to the locals on documents, but which was in reality allegedly utilised by a private oil palm business.
The village movement later led state officials to set up a provincial committee to kick start the procedure to revoke the concession.
The police suspected that the assassination might be connected to Somsuk’s activism against the private oil palm business.
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Anti-mine activist shot dead after court rules in favor of villagers
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