The People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) has confirmed that it asked the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for compensation for the deaths and injuries suffered by PDRC supporters during the 2013-2014 political protests.
Spokesman Akanat Promphan was responding on Thursday to a report the government had sent a letter to Akek Laothammathat, chairman of the National Reform Council's committee on reconciliation, advising that PDRC secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban had asked the government for compensation.
The PDRC spokesman said the letter was sent to the government late last year by Mr Suthep, now in the monkhood and using the name Phra Suthep Papakaro.
He said the letter to the government explained the PDRC's reasons for holding the protests and set down the number of deaths and injuries.
"We told the government the protests were peaceful and without weapons, as required by the constitution, so those who lost their lives or were injured should be compensated," he said.
The PDRC left it to the government to decide the level of compensation, Mr Akanat said, adding that the Yingluck Shinawatra government paid 7.75 million baht to the families for each death in the government crackdown on red-shirt protesters in 2010.
He said compensation was a good beginning to the reconciliation process.
The PDRC protests were triggered by a proposed blanket amnesty that that would have pardoned politicians of various charges since 2004, including former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep.
The bill was rejected by the Senate, but anti-government protests continued. Demonstrators occupied government offices, blocked major road intersections and held mass rallies in Bangkok in calling for Ms Yingluck's resignation as prime minister.
Ms Yingluck dissolved the House of Representatives on Dec 8, 2013 and called a snap election after opposition Democrat Party MPs resigned en masse. The snap election was set for Feb 2, 2014.
The election was disrupted by protests and later annulled by the Constitutional Court.
During the course of the PDRC rallies, the protesters were regularly the target of violence, with frequent shootings, bombings and grenade attacks that led to 28 deaths and over 800 injuries.