A leader of southern landless communities was shot dead after leading a campaign against the private oil palm plantation allegedly utilized lands given to the communities.
Somsuk Kohklang, a 50-year-old land rights village activist from the southern province of Krabi was shot dead Wednesday afternoon while driving motorcycle with his wife in an oil palm plantation in Muang District of Krabi.
Somsuk, a village leader who was active in advocating on land rights for landless communities in Krabi, earlier took parts in leading the villagers to press the state officials to check on land concession of about 2,000 acres of land, given to the locals on documents, but was in reality allegedly utilised by 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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