Compensation day nears for Oct 7 victims

The plan will be tabled before Cabinet next Tuesday.

"We have also worked out compensation amounts for injured victims," Social Development and Welfare Department director general Panita Kambhu said yesterday, "But we will disclose details only after the Cabinet approves our plan".

She quickly added that the compensation amounts in this case would not apply to any future cases.

Recent political violence has claimed three lives and injured 612 people over the past two months. Most casualties occurred when police used tear gas to disperse People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators on October 7.

The confrontation left two dead and over 400 people injured. Many victims lost limbs. Dozens of policemen were also injured on that day.

Panita said the Social Development and Human Security Ministry will assign social workers to visit victims or their families before paying the compensation.

"After we get Cabinet approval, the compensationpaying process should be completed within 90 days," Panita said.

Deputy government spokesperson Suparat Nakboonnam said the committee was seeking about Bt56 million in funds for the compensation.

Meanwhile, National Police Commissioner General Patcharawat Wongsuwan has established a committee to probe the October 7 clashes, with Pol General Wiroj Paholvej as its chairman.

Several topranking police officers will sit in this committee - assigned to look into what exactly happened on October 7 and to report results within seven days.

Several other factfinding committees have been established by various authorities to probe the October 7 clashes.