Minister calls for parity in rally compensation

Minister calls for parity in rally compensation

Yellows, reds should get the same, Yutthasak says

Families of both yellow shirt and red shirt protesters killed in political protests should be entitled to equal compensation, Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa says.

In response to the demands of red shirt leader and Pheu Thai list MP Jatuporn Prompan that each family of red shirt demonstrators and security officers who were killed during political protests receive 10 million baht compensation from the government, Gen Yutthasak said if the government wanted to put in place a reconciliation process, it should award compensation to victims in all political camps, not only the red shirt movement.
Ninety-two people - 81 civilians and 11 security officers - were killed in violent incidents during April and May last year.
"If the government is to pay such compensation, it should pay the same compensation to families of military officers and yellow shirt protesters as well," he said.
The yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy laid siege to parliament on Oct 7, 2008, to prevent new prime minister Somchai Wongsawat from delivering his initial policy statement. A confrontation with riot police ensued in which two protesters were killed and scores injured.

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Gen Yutthasak said the government should act for the best interests of all in the country, not only a certain group of people.
Meanwhile, a Democrat MP said the red shirt movement should instead demand compensation from Thaksin Shinawatra, not the Yingluck administration.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday said the government needed to further discuss the issue of compensation for red shirt victims.
Pheu Thai deputy leader Plodprasop Suraswadi said he fully supported Mr Jatuporn's call to award 10 million baht in compensation to families of the April-May riot victims.
Mr Plodprasop, also the Science and Technology Minister, said families of the slain red shirt members deserved the money as the red shirt demonstrators had fought for democracy.
Director-general of the Justice Ministry's Rights and Liberty Protection Department, Suwana Suwanjuta, said her department had decided to seek bail for red shirt prisoners and to provide assistance to families of those killed and those injured during political protests.
In Udon Thani, nine Pheu Thai MPs have used their MP positions to initiate bail applications for 22 red shirt protesters who have been detained at the Udon Thani Central Prison.
About 500 red shirt supporters turned up to give moral support to the MPs.