Yingluck explains absence
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she did not attend the ceremony held yesterday to present compensation to victims of political unrest, because she was tending to business outside Bangkok, and not because she was trying to avoid legal responsibilit
Instead, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit presided over the ceremony, which was held at 3.30pm and broadcast live on Channel 11.
Earlier, Democrat MP for Rayong Sathit Pitutecha threatened to file a complaint with the National AntiCorruption Commission (NACC) because he said the compensation was an illegitimate expenditure of taxpayer’s money.
A Government House source had earlier said that Yingluck wanted to attend the ceremony but was advised not to because it was still unclear if the payments were lawful, and since the initial compensation was only partial, recipients could be upset and possibly vent their anger at the event.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said his government had already paid some compensation to victims of political unrest, adding that he did not know all the details about this additional payment yet. He said there was confusion because only half of the 1,000 people who had registered were deemed eligible and nobody was sure how much they would get.
He added that it would be appropriate to follow the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand’s recommendation of paying affected families on a monthly basis instead of giving them a large chunk.
