Help for unrest victims on the way

Help for unrest victims on the way

Compensation details to be unveiled next week

Healing and compensating the victims of political violence and southern unrest would be included in the government policies to be declared in parliament on Aug 24, says the Justice Ministry.

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok insisted yesterday beneficiaries of the financial assistance would include the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) demonstrators, the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters and the victims of violence in the far South.
The Rights and Liberties Protection Department was mapping out details of the rehabilitation and compensation plan for people affected by political and insurgent violence, he said.
As for the calls for 10 million baht in compensation for each of the victims of last year's political mayhem, Pol Gen Pracha said he had not yet received any formal requests for this yet.
Yesterday, Natthawut Saikua, a Pheu Thai list-MP and red shirt core leader, said some Pheu Thai MPs would seek the release of about 60 UDD members on bail.
The move came after 14 Pheu Thai MPs yesterday successfully obtained bail for four key UDD members jailed in Khon Kaen in connection with the arson attacks at the province's city hall and the NBT television station in the province on May 19 last year.
The MPs used their parliamentary status and laid down one million baht as surety for each of the four UDD leaders who have been detained while awaiting a court ruling on their cases.
A similar bail request would be filed today by Pheu Thai MPs for another 21 UDD suspects detained in Ubon Ratchathani and nine others in Maha Sarakham province, said Mr Natthawut.
He and 16 other Pheu Thai MPs would apply for bail for 30 more UDD members detained in Bangkok in connection with last year's political violence, said Mr Natthawut.
"We do not have a problem with the bail surety because someone is there to help," he said without elaborating.
Ketkamon Akkhahat is one of six people shot dead in Wat Pathum Wanaram in the Ratchaprasong area during the crackdown on the red shirt rallies on May 19 last year
Her mother, Phayao Akkhahat, 46, yesterday petitioned the Metropolitan Police Bureau to allow her to use a space next to the temple to organise activities to mark her daughter's death. The bureau approved the request.
The mother said the activities would be held today by a civic group and they had nothing to do with the red shirts.
She said if she was given 10 million baht in compensation, she would use the money to finance her fight to bring those responsible for her daughter's death to justice.