“I heard the sound ‘bang, bang, bang’. Personally, I thought there had been an accident. Then, he said: ‘I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe’.”
These are the words of Sitanan Satsaksit, who can recount in detail the alleged abduction of her brother Wanchalearm, a critic of Thailand’s military-backed government whose disappearance has helped spur pro-democracy protests across the country. It all happened while she was on the phone to him.
He told her he was stopping to buy meatballs near his flat in Cambodia on 4 June, when suddenly there was a loud noise in the background.
After a series of bangs, Sitanan heard a group of men in the background talking in a language she thought was Khmer. She assumed they had gathered to help her brother, but he kept repeating: “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.”
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She believes the men did not initially realise that her brother, who had been using wireless earbuds, was still on an active call.
The line cut off after about 10 minutes.
CCTV footage taken at the time shows two pedestrians looking at something out of shot before edging away. Then, a black car swerves down the road.
Months later, Sitanan has vowed to fight for justice at an upcoming court case, stating that “the truth must come out”.
“Missing” posters showing his image have since become one of the symbols of Thailand’s pro-democracy rallies, where protesters have accused the establishment of trampling over their democratic rights. Demonstrators have not only targeted the government, but also have also risked jail by criticising Thailand’s powerful monarchy.
Next month, Wanchalearm’s sister, Sitanan, will appear before a judge in Cambodia – where he fled following the coup in 2014 – to provide evidence about his disappearance.
“I want to ask the officials in Thailand and Cambodia to thoroughly investigate Wanchalearm’s case and show clearly that they will provide justice. The truth must come out. And it has to be the real truth, no scapegoat, no covering up,” she says.
Sitanan believes Wanchalearm, who had continued to post political satire online from Cambodia, was abducted because of his activism. The Thai authorities have denied any involvement.
In a statement, the Thai ministry of foreign affairs said officials have been in close contact with his family to gather information, and had helped assist Sitanan to travel to Cambodia.
Wanchalearm is the latest Thai activist to go missing abroad. Over recent years, eight other dissidents living in exile have disappeared after criticising the monarchy and military. In December 2018, the bodies of two activists were found by the Mekong river, their faces disfigured and their stomachs stuffed with concrete. Others remain missing. No one has been held accountable.
Human rights groups say Wanchalearm’s case has provoked an unprecedented level of anger among the public, particularly young people. “[People feel that] if this happened to Wanchalearm because he shared his view on Facebook or social media, then anyone could be Wanchalearm,” says Piyanut Kotsan, director of Amnesty International Thailand. “People can’t stand it.”
Rights groups welcomed the news that Sitanan will give evidence in court, but there are concerns about how the case will be handled in Cambodia, which has a poor record on human rights. When the incident was first reported, the Cambodian police initially declined to investigate, and the country’s interior ministry stated that it may be “fake news”. They later agreed to probe the case, but have made little progress.
The Cambodian authorities have said the licence plate on the vehicle captured on CCTV was fake. They have also stated that their inquiries found Wanchalearm was not living in the building that witnesses and his family have identified – claims Sitanan plans to counter.
Thailand’s foreign minister, Don Pramudwinai, said in June that the country’s authorities must wait for Cambodia to finish its investigations – comments that the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances described as alarming.
In a statement, Thailand’s MFA said the government had “an unwavering determination” to find Wanchalearm, and “bring justice to bear on those responsible for his disappearance.” It added that the government was committed to upholding the rule of law and human rights obligation.
Sitanan says she is concerned about her own safety and that, in Thailand, she has noticed undercover officers following her. The recent protests were, however, a source of strength, she added: “I think if my brother could know this, he would be very glad that what he has been fighting for, which forced him to live in exile and sacrifice everything, has succeeded.”
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