A 25-year-old Lao human right activist, Anousa “Jack” Luangsuphom, was falsely reported dead after he was shot by an unidentified gunman in the After School Chocolate & Bar shop in Vientiane, Laos, last weekend.
The Southeast Asia Globe now says the activist is recovering in hospital. Also, his family and other sources confirmed that he is still alive.
“Friends and family basically told people he was dead because they were worried that if the gunman knew they had not succeeded in killing him, they would return to finish the job,” Phil Robertson, a spokesman for Human Rights Watch, told the BBC.
According to The Bangkok Post, Jack is the administrator of the Kub Kluen Duay Keyboard (Driven By Keyboard) Facebook group that has uncovered and denounced human rights abuses in Laos and called for the end of one-party rule.
“His activism frightened the government, so they wanted to kill him,” a fellow Lao democracy activist said.
At present the incident is under an investigation. Jack’s family is considering bringing him to Thailand for treatment as they are concerned about his safety.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2563415/shot-lao-activist-confirmed-to-be-still-alive
