On 24 Dec, Phairoj Pholphet, Chair of the NGO Coordinating Committee, led a group of NGO workers and members of people’s organizations petitioned the Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation to adopt the case of the shooting of an NGO worker in Songkhla.

Sitthichai Patpong, Vice Chairperson of the Thai Sea Conservation Association, was severely injured from gunshots in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, on 27 Nov.

The investigation under the Hat Yai police so far has seen no progress, the activists said.

Sitthichai was shot because he had conflicts with local mafia after he had organized villagers to buy rubber, Phairoj said.

DSI Director-General Tharit Phengdit told the activists that this was an outrageous case, and the DSI would make a consideration.

Tharadon Madlead, member of the Thai Sea Conservation Association, said that police had a sketch of one of the culprits, but had yet made any progress. He believed the DSI would accelerate the investigation.

He also hoped that the DSI’s involvement would also tackle the problems of local mafia. Previously, four people in the rubber-buying group had been killed.