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Justice in the Land of Smiles
Alexander Widding/4SEE
On May 14, 2010 during the political disturbance between Red Shirts and army personnel in Bangkok, Thailand, Kim was shot three times while walking to a 7-Eleven to pay his family's bills. He was rushed to Kluay Nam Thai Hospital for life-saving surgery. The most dangerous bullet entered close to his spinal cord and penetrated his lung; it was removed during surgery, but the damage it caused resulted in breathing problems, paralysis, and other severe health issues. The second bullet had not penetrated very deeply and was easier to remove. However, due to the large amount of blood Kim had lost, the doctor considered further surgery too risky: the third bullet had to remain in his body.
Before Kim was shot he had taken care of his wife and children cleaned the apartment and cooked; he worked as a food vendor to pay for food, rent and utilities, and for the kids' schooling. The shots left him paralyzed from the waist down, forcing him to remain in bed all day while his wife, Aor, had to do all the things he had done before. But in addition to performing all chores single-handedly, she became her husband's caregiver. Kim needed assistance with everything. Aor cooked for him, washed him, and helped him when he needed to relieve himself. The family now had no income; both Kim and Aor had to stay at home, and the children were in school. They received some financial support from the government, from organizations, volunteers, and from friends and family. They were dependent on the support in order to survive.
On October 20, 2011, more than 17 months after the shooting, Kim needed surgery again. At this point he frequently had cramps in his body, along with severe pain in the shoulder and neck area. As the muscles in his back had atrophied drastically, he could not move his body like before. The doctor discovered that the cause of the pain was one of his neck vertebrae putting pressure on nearby nerves. After surgery Kim returned home, but it was not long before he developed respiratory problems and was taken to the hospital yet again. On November 9, 2011 he was placed on a ventilator in the intensive care unit because of his breathing difficulties. At this point Kim could neither move nor talk; he had nothing to communicate with but his eyes and a mouth with no words.
Kim never woke up again after falling asleep on February 21, 2012
He passed away at Mahesak Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 23 at the age of 55. He leaves behind his wife and three children. The cause of death was a combination of physical weakness and a pulmonary infection. Kim is one of the many innocent casualties of the violence, and as many of the other victims, he never saw justice for what happened.
No one has been held accountable for the shooting.
