Compensation package for riot victims of past 6 years

“The rehabilitation will cover all groups of people affected by violent political incidents,” from late 2005 when the yellow shirts held a protest against then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, until May 2010, when the red shirts staged street demonstrations against the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva, she said. 

The plan refers not only to protesters and their relatives, but also state officials, media workers, and private businesses, the spokeswoman said.

“According to an initial estimate, about Bt2 billion will be required,” she added.

Bt4.5 million would be paid for each case of death. The amount was calculated based on the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2010, which was Bt150,177. The figure is multiplied by 30 – based on an assumption that the average age of the deceased is 35 and they would have worked for 30 years before their retirement at 65.

The family of each dead victim would be paid Bt250,000 to cover the cost of a funeral, Bt3 million as remedy for their loss, and a maximum Bt200,000 for medical bills.

 

Medical costs

In cases where victims became disabled, they would each be paid Bt4.5 million. If they lost important organs, they each would get compensation amounting to 80 per cent of the full amount – about Bt3.6 million. If they lost unimportant organs, they would be paid 40 per cent of the full amount, or about Bt1.8 million.

Medical costs would be covered – no more than Bt200,000 for the former group and no more than Bt100,000 for the latter group – as well as cases in which further treatment was needed – maximum Bt200,000 a year for the former group and maximum Bt50,000 a year for the latter group.

Those who suffered injuries would be paid between Bt200,000 and Bt1.12 million, depending on the severity, and their medical costs would be covered – from Bt10,000 to Bt50,000.

The remedy plan was proposed by the government’s committee for cooperation and a follow-up of recommendations by the Truth for National Reconciliation Commission, which is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit. He said it was based on international principles and that the goal was to attain national reconciliation as the compensation would be for all groups involved.

However, Deputy Transport Minister Chatt Kuldiloke suggested the compensation should only cover victims of the latest political unrest and riots in 2010, in order to prevent people from taking to the streets again, according to a source.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra suggested the Bt4.5 million compensation should not be paid in a lump sum, but instead should be paid in instalments to the victims’ families over five years.