An error by Mr Abhisit | Bangkok Post: opinion

EDITORIAL

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva made a valid point in his criticism of the plan to compensate families who have been victims of violence. He said, in essence, that the government should talk less about its still-evolving payment project. He is right that it is a bad idea for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the governing Pheu Thai Party to raise expectations of huge payouts. But he should know better than to claim that compensation payments are tied to the violence in the deep South. The Democrat Party leader should revisit and correct his comments that "confusion" over the payouts could worsen the murderous violence in the South.

Mr Abhisit and the Democrats maintain a strong political base in the deep South, where no other political party ever has been able to effectively challenge them. Recent surveys testing the popularity of the government have consistently shown approval of the prime minister and Pheu Thai at below 20% in the region. So it was surprising to hear the way Mr Abhisit framed his remarks on plans to pay compensation to the victims and their families. Ever since the government said it intended to go ahead with payments to the families of victims of state violence, the Democrats have been cautious at best. The party's policy towards such a project is dramatically shown by Mr Abhisit himself. He and then deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban have steadfastly refused to apologise for any of the 92 deaths during the April-May 2010 violence. Perhaps for this reason, he also has remained aloof from assigning any blame for other, similar violence.

Ms Yingluck and ministers have got the principle right. There can be no national reconciliation without facing up to such incidents. There are vital, still unanswered questions involved _ how far back in history, what cases are worthy of compensation, how much are victims owed? Indeed, it is somewhat horrifying to realise how many similar incidents there have been involving state violence, and how many have died.