Groups to set guidelines for compensation
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A government subcommittee responsible for civil remedies for victims of political unrest over the past six years yesterday set up three working groups to determine the guidelines for compensation payments.
Prime Minister’s Office permanent secretary Tongthong Chandrangsu, in his capacity as member of the subcommittee, said the working groups would carefully establish a list of those eligible to ensure that all of them – whatever their political colour – were fairly compensated.
He said the three working groups were set up at yesterday’s meeting of the subcommittee. Tongthong said questions were raised at the meeting on the number of victims who have received compensation from previous governments, how much they were paid and how much more they deserved to get.
The subcommittee is under the government’s committee for coordinating and following up on recommendations from the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT). The committee is chaired by Deputy PM and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit.
According to Tongthong, the first working group is led by the deputy permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, Suwana Suwanjutha. Its duty is to determine the number and identities of victims since late 2005, and if they had obtained any compensation from authorities.
“Victims” refers to all groups of people – soldiers, police, journalists and tourists, and protesters from all political groups.
The second working group is led by Social Development and Human Security Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Rarintip Sirorat. Its duty is to set payment guidelines in detail, based on figures loosely outlined by the Cabinet in its resolution on January 10, and on existing compensation-payment regulations.
The third working group, led by businessman Virawong Jitmitrapap, is to look into possible compensation for the damage done to businesses in protest areas.
The first two groups were given two weeks to complete their assignments and report to the subcommittee at its next meeting on February 6, Tongthong said.
He said the subcommittee had “a lot of homework to do” after it was established following Cabinet resolution on compensation payment covering victims of political unrest from 2005 to 2010. He said the panel would have to prevent possible scams, in addition to determining how the compensation would be paid, such as in instalments or in the form of scholarships for children of the deceased or disabled.
Yongyuth, who heads the government committee that proposed the payments, insisted yesterday the government would ensure fairness. He said the government acted in response to TRCT’s recommendations but that it set the compensation figures based on the country’s GDP.
He was responding to a query in Parliament by an opposition Democrat MP that was intended for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
