"Yes" to compensation package but "No" to a compensation fund
Families and relatives of victims wrongfully killed by state authorities in the restive Deep South welcome the government’s new compensation package but are not happy with the prospect that a certain amount of money may be deducted from the compensation to set up a fund or a foundation to help future victims.
Ms Koleeyoh Halee who lost her father in the Krue Se mosque massacre in 2004 told the Isra news team that she was pleased with the new compensation package promised by the government.
"Every one of us (victims of wrongful killings) want the money to be paid either in lump sum or in instalments. But nobody want they money they are entitled to to be deducted for the setting up of a fund or a foundation," said Ms Halee in reference to a suggestion by some compensation committee members that a fund or a foundation should be set up using money to be deducted from the compensation promosed to the victims in order to help victims from unrest in the future.
She also dismissed another suggestion that families or relatives of the victims might waste all the compensation money within a short period of time, saying that such concern was unjustified. "They have the right to use the compensation money on whatever they think fit," she added.
Mrs Yaena Salamae, a representative of the victims of Tak Bai massacre, thanked the government for coming up with the new compensation package which promises up to a ceiling of 7.5 million baht in compensation for each victim. However, he voiced his opposition to any idea of deducting some money from the compensation.
As for the maximum compensation of 7.5 million baht, it should be understood that not every family of the dead victim would receive the maximum amount because many of them have already received some compensation already from the government such as familes of the Tak Bai victims. In this case, the amount already given will be deducted from the 7.5 million baht.
Also, there may be problem regarding missing people or the "forced disappearance" cases. There are still conflicting opinions about the actual number of missing people among compensation committee members with one group insisting that only 36 people were missing but the other opted for 54 missing cases.
As for the dead victims, it is yet to be determined the exact number of people wrongfully killed by state officials who will be entitled to the compensation package. Altogether more than 5,000 people have died in the insurgency war which has been raging in the deep South since 2004.
Besides the dead victims, people who were held in custody and whose cases were dropped by the public prosecutors or dismissed by the court are also entitled to compensation. The amount is to be calculated by the number of days held in custody multiply by 400 baht compensation per day.
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Caption : (left) Ms Koleeyoh Halee (right) Mrs Yaena Salamae