Ex

Ex-Khun Sa's Man Killed

One of Druglord Khun Sa's ex-commander, who was reputed to be an amphetamine trafficker, was killed in Chiangrai on Monday night, according to sources from the border. 

Maj. Sai Parn, 42, ex-battalion commander from Khun Sa's defunct Mong Tai Army, who lived in Ban Therdthai (formerly Ban Hinteck), Maefahluang District, Chiangrai Province was gunned down by unknown gunmen at 19:45, Thursday, 28 June in front of his house. 

According to sources, a car blared its horns several times in front of his home and he went out to look. Eye witnesses said there were three men in the car. Two came out, while one remained in side the car. And while one was diverting his attention by engaging him with some questions, the other took out his gun and shot him in the head. He was killed instantly. 

"There were two curious circumstances which the villagers could not explain", said one source. "One was that after killing Sai Parn, the gunmen drove off at a leisurely speed. They did not seem in a hurry at all to fade out". 

"The other was that the police took almost an hour to arrive at the scene although the local police station is only a few hundred yards away. They also did not look very enthusiastic about the case". 

Which led some villagers to wonder whether this was another extrajudicial killing, added the source. The killing coincided with the week-long anti-narcotics drive launched by the Thai authorities. 

Two of ex-Khun Sa men have already been killed extrajudicially during the past two years.The first one was Boonsong Suriwong on 10 January 1997 and another, Jatusit Parnmok, in May this year. 

Both men were from Mae-ai District, Chiangmai Province. And both were also known associates of Sai Parn.