Bangkok will offer compensation to the family of a Japanese photographer who was gunned down, apparently by security forces, during antigovernment demonstrations in the capital in 2010, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Tuesday.
Yingluck told reporters before leaving Tuesday afternoon on an official trip to Japan that government officials will hand a letter of condolence to Hiroyuki Muramoto's family and the Foreign Ministry will be responsible for compensation details for foreigners killed during the demonstrations, including Muramoto. "He has the right to get compensation like other victims, but I don't have time to meet his family during the trip, due to tight schedules," she added.
Yingluck's government agreed in principle last month to create a 2 billion baht ($65 million) budget to compensate around 2,000 victims of political violence since late 2005.
The weekly Cabinet meeting Tuesday officially approved the budget with the criteria for each victim. Those killed in the violence could get up to 7.7 million baht in compensation.