BANGKOK — Police say they have filed arrest warrants for two men suspected of murdering a prominent Redshirt activist in April.
Kamol Duangphasuk, 45, was shot at point-blank and killed by a pair of masked gunmen in a restaurant parking lot in Bangkok on 23 April.
Mr. Kamol, aka Mai Neung Gor Gunthee, was a well-known Redshirt activist and poet who staunchly supported the former government. Widely considered to be a member of the Redshirt’s "radical" wing, Mr. Kamol often criticised the establishment and called for repeal of lese majeste laws, which criminalize any criticism of the Royal Family.
Although drive-by shootings and grenade attacks were common during the political turmoil Thailand faced earlier this year, Mr. Kamol's death was the only successful premeditated assassination.
Today, Pol.Gen. Ake Angsananond, deputy chief of Royal Thai Police, said he applied for arrest warrants on two suspects to be charged with premeditated murder. Their names have not yet been released.
Minburi Provincial Court is considering the arrest warrant applications, Pol.Gen. Ake said, adding that he believes the suspects were part of a larger conspiracy that plotted to kill Mr. Kamol.
"I believe there are more than two perpetrators," Pol.Gen. Ake said. "They planned ahead and monitored Mr. Kamol's behaviour for a long time before they executed the crime."
Pol.Gen. Ake also told reporters that police have not dismissed any motive behind the assassination, such political or personal issues.
Meanwhile, Pol.Gen. Somyot Pumphanmuang, deputy commander of Bangkok Metropolitan Police, said the investigation also indicates that Mr. Kamol was involved in many violent attacks on anti-government protesters in Bangkok area prior to his death. Almost 30 people died from political violence over the course of a six month anti-government protest campaign that started last November.
Pol.Gen. Somyot's statement confirmed what Redshirt activists have privately acknowledged about Mr. Kamol's involvement in underground militant movements.
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