This archive report was first published on 11 November 2019.
Thai activist Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen, known as Billy, went missing in April 2014 while working on a lawsuit against officials accused of destroying homes in Kaeng Krachan national park.
At the time, Chaiwat Limlikitaksor, the park chief, was one of the last people to see him alive, after Billy was detained for allegedly collecting honey illegally.
Chaiwat denied any involvement in Billy's disappearance and was later promoted to run a larger national park.
However, on Monday, Thailand's corruption court approved arrest warrants for Chaiwat and three other park officials on charges including premeditated murder, detention, and robbery.
Chaiwat, when contacted by AFP, sounded calm and said he planned to turn himself in on Tuesday.
"The legal process will start, now not one person will say one thing and another say another thing," he said.
Forensic tests confirmed that a burnt fragment of a skull found in the park in April belonged to Billy, who was a member of the Karen ethnic minority from eastern Myanmar.
His family had expressed hope for justice at a tearful memorial in September.
Rights groups say Billy's case highlights several problems plaguing activists in Thailand, including impunity for forced disappearances, environmental destruction, and the rights of indigenous groups.
Thailand is among the most deadly places in Asia for environmental and rights defenders, with over 80 cases of disappearances counted by the United Nations since 1980.
