BANGKOK, Feb 3 — The Thai government on Friday approved a Bt7 million compensation settlement for the families of each victim of the country’s southern violence who died as a result of government actions.
The compensation is on top of the Bt500,000 normal remedy payment, Deputy Prime Minister/Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of the Southern Border Provinces Development Strategy Committee, Mr Yongyuth said the meeting approved the measures proposed by the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC) to compensate civilians who were affected by the government’s actions.
The families of the victims who suffered human rights violations will be compensated with Bt7 million on top of the Bt500,000 normal remedy payment, so that each of them would receive Bt7.5 million in total, he said.
The additional compensation would cover the victims from the Krue Seh and Tak Bai incidents, he added.
Mr Yongyuth said that wounded and injured victims would also be compensation at differing levels in accordance with approved criterion.
The payment will take effect immediately after the SBPAC regulations are signed, he said, adding that it could be announced and implemented next week without cabinet approval.
Mr Yongyuth brushed aside speculation that the move was aimed to ease mounting pressure and heavy criticism against the government after it had earlier approved Bt7.5 million compensation to Red Shirt supporters who died during the protest by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
