Residents of tambon Nong Nae have been living in fear since the Feb 25 fatal shooting of a village headman who led a fight against illegal dumping of toxic waste in their neighbourhood.
The family of slain environmentalist Prajob Naowa-opas mourn the death of their beloved father and husband. From left, Prajob’s wife Arunrat Naowa-opas, daughter Sirilak and son Watcharapong. PATTANAPONG HIRANARD
Prajob Naowa-opas, 43, was village head of Moo 14 of tambon Nong Nae in Phanom Sarakham district. He was killed in broad daylight while waiting for mechanics to finish repair work on his pickup truck at a local garage.
The father of three was shot four times with an 11mm pistol by an unidentified gunman. Prajob was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.
"We've lost a strong pillar of the community," Prajob's elder brother Jorn Naowa-opas, 46, said.
The Naowa-opas family last week sought protection from the Rights and Liberties Protection Department.
Mr Jorn said he and other residents opposing the dumping of toxic industrial waste were being intimidated and lived in fear following Prajob's murder.
Prajob had been village head of Ban Moo 14 for 12 years, and had earned the respect of most villagers, who referred to him affectionately as "Phuyai Job".
The two brothers had been leading a fight against the illegal disposal of hazardous waste by nearby factories since 2007 after they saw an increasing amount of industrial waste being dumped there.
Locals said industrial waste management companies bought up large plots of land from villagers. They then dug up the ground in the plots, selling off the soil, and used the empty pits as waste dumps or wastewater ponds.
The industrial waste caused water and air pollution which locals believed had led to a decline of agricultural produce.
Tambon Nong Nae is an agricultural area where people grow rubber plantations, fruit orchards, rice paddies and raise pigs.
In 2009, Prajob led a group of residents to lodge complaints with authorities as well as then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. His move upset waste management firm operators and an oil recycling plant. Operators of both sites were later ordered to suspend their waste dumping activities.
The problems that appeared to be solved resurfaced last year when residents saw a lorry carrying wastewater to dump in the area. Prajob again lodged complaints with several authorities including the Department of Special Investigation and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
His efforts eventually caught the attention of authorities from the Natural Resources and Environment, Public Health, and Industry ministries who visited the area to collect soil and water samples for further investigation.
There are at least nine landfills and a wastewater pond in the tambon.
However, before the evidence was clearly presented, Prajob was shot dead.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Prajob was one of more than 30 human rights defenders and environmentalists that have been killed in Thailand since 2001.
In most cases, police failed to bring the culprits to justice, HRW said.
Mr Jorn, who is following the police investigation closely, said police had stated the investigation was 70% complete.
Police have not ruled out personal and business conflicts as possible motives for Prajob's murder.
Mr Jorn, however, believed his brother was killed because of his role in fighting the industrial waste dump.
For Nong Nae residents, the murder of Prajob reminded them of the death of Suthep Tongkam, a former member of Nong Nae Tambon Administration Organisation (TAO), who fought alongside Prajob against illegal waste disposal.
Suthep was shot dead in front of the Nong Nae TAO office in 2010. Residents believed his death was linked to the waste disposal protest.
It has been more than two weeks since the killing of Prajob and Nong Nae residents are still in shock and fear.
However, they said they would not stop fighting to save their homes from toxic waste.
"We will carry on our movement until our problems are solved," Mr Jorn said.
Watcharapong Naowa-opas, Prajob's 23-year-old son, said the family would not cremate Prajob's body until justice was served.
"He did good things for people his whole life _ even his death will do something good," he said.
"It will be a message sent to other activists to not give up."
