Thai cabinet OKs 64.5-million-dollar compensation for protesters

Jan 11, 2012, 2:54 GMT

Bangkok - Thailand's cabinet approved 2 billion baht (64.5 million dollars) to compensate those injured and the families of those killed during anti-government protests from 2005 to 2010, media reports said Wednesday.

The family of each person killed would receive 4.5 million baht, the Bangkok Post reported.

The payments, which would go to people from both sides of Thailand's political spectrum, were aimed at promoting national reconciliation, government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng was quoted as saying.

Ninety-two people died in Bangkok in 2010 protests, which were led by the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, also called the red shirts, who are political allies of the current government.

In the protests of 2008, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), or yellow shirts, at least two people died in a police crackdown.

The government compensation package would provide 4.5 million baht for people who were disabled in the demonstrations.

Thailand has been plagued by political turmoil since 2005 when the PAD launched rallies in Bangkok against former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who made enemies in the middle class and political elite.

Thaksin, who has lived abroad since being toppled in a 2006 coup, remains a divisive figure in Thai politics. His foes have vowed to erase his political legacy while his supporters want to bring him back to power. His sister Yingluck Shinawatra became prime minister last year.