Govt to compensate 2013-2014 protest victims
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The Government will next month start paying compensation to those affected by political demonstrations that took place in 2013 and 2014, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday.
That was a period of time that saw the rise of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), which opposed the Yingluck Shinawatra government and staged a series of demonstrations, and the opposing red shirts, who staged their own protests before the military eventually staged a coup.
The Cabinet has already approved a budget of Bt120 million, he said, and those affected by the protests can claim compensation by submitting medical documents and proof to the officials. They can request compensation at the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, he said.
A subcommittee would be set up to proceed with the payments. The process would start today, Wissanu said, and the process should be done by the end of this year.
However, if those wishing to make a claim do not do so before December, they might not receive the money before the end of the year as the process takes time. But the compensation will not cover demonstrations that occurred at other times as those incidents and their impact are still pending clarification, Wissanu said.
In principle, families who lost one member due to the protests would be compensated to the tune of Bt400,000.
The payments would be made with no discrimination against any particular group, he said. And most importantly, it would have to be in accordance with the law.
