Her Brother Was Kidnapped, and Police Are Investigating Her for Campaigning

Wanchalearm Satsaksit popped out for some food in his quiet suburban neighborhood one Thursday afternoon on Jun. 4 last year. Chatting casually on the phone with his sister, an SUV pulled up beside him—several black-clad men dragged him in. 

Sitanun recalled her brother’s final words, ”I can’t breathe,” as the phone went dead. Snatched from her life in a matter of seconds, Wanchalearm has not been heard from since. 

The brazen attack on Wanchalearm, a Thai political dissident exiled in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, in broad daylight has presented no leads in over a year, and hopes of justice for his family remain fleeting as his whereabouts and welfare remain a mystery to this day. 

His sister continues to campaign for justice, but she faces resistance from authorities in a case that speaks to the long-running issue of Thailand’s state-sponsored kidnapping of government critics. On Oct. 20, she was called into a prosecutor's office to answer accusations of violating an emergency decree prohibiting large gatherings in Thailand for speaking at a rally on Sept. 5. 

“It’s strange because throughout the past year or so, I’ve been to multiple rallies. So why are they only looking to charge me for this one?” Sitanun told VICE World News. Her legal team says they expect an official charge to be made on Oct. 25.

“It shows that it is harassment from the state in order to silence me as I investigate Wanchalearm’s disappearance.” 

At the rally, Sitanun addressed the lack of justice for her brother, while also reiterating calls for the criminalization of torture and enforced disappearances in Thailand, something not currently outlawed in the kingdom. Sitanun’s lawyer and civil society activist Pornpen Khongkachonkiet condemned authorities for targeting the victim in this case.  

“The charge is simply about harassment. It’s a legal action often taken against activists who speak out,” she told VICE World News. 

Wanchalearm was the 10th Thai government critic to have disappeared abroad in mysterious circumstances since the 2014 military coup that first brought the now-civilian prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to power. Calls for justice for victims like Wanchalearm have become a central issue for major youth-led anti-government protests that have been ongoing in Thailand since February 2020. 

Cambodian and Thai authorities have shown little urgency in investigating the case in the 16 months since Wanchalearm’s suspected abduction and murder. Sitanun has been investigating the incident herself in order to move forward with the case.

“We’ve had to gather all the evidence ourselves,” she said. “The state has not done anything. They actually put the responsibility on us.” 

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