Her Majesty the Queen donated about 22 million baht to help people affected by the political violence in 2010, a close aide to the Queen has revealed.
Details are just emerging of the help given to residents of the Bon Kai area along Rama 4 Road when the violence spread in 2010. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)
Gen Naphon Buntup said Her Majesty was concerned about the plight of residents in the Bon Kai area, which was one of the scenes of clashes between security officers and red shirt protesters when the unrest was at its worst in May, 2010.
Gen Naphon recalled that Her Majesty initially gave him 2 million baht and instructed him to help the affected residents. She later gave a total of 20 million baht to help those in other areas.
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The generous act had not been revealed until yesterday when Gen Naphon, a former assistant army chief and former chief of the Second Army, gave a lecture on the southern violence during an Internal Security Operations Command meeting in Bangkok.
Gen Naphon, 72, is now deputy Chief Aide-de-Camp General to His Majesty the King. He also serves on a team of personal staff working for Her Majesty the Queen.
Upon Her Majesty's instruction, he said he disguised himself to seek information from residents in the area.
Many residents were seen to be red-shirt supporters. He said that at the time the residents were angry and blamed soldiers for making their lives miserable. They claimed the tools of their trade were damaged by gunfire from security officers.
Gen Naphon said many affected residents in Bon Kai were hawkers selling food on the streets.
They had no business licences needed as evidence to file for compensation from the government.
He said he initially handed out the money to 40 affected residents. The next day about 500 people who had heard about the funds gathered at the community.
"At first, some did not believe [that aid money was being dispensed]," Gen Naphon said. "They were afraid they were being lured into joining the [red shirt] protest. But they were filled with joy when I told them that Her Majesty knew of their hardship and donated the money so they could use it to buy new equipment to make a living," he said, adding that the residents offered hand-written letters to express their gratitude to Her Majesty.
He said it later emerged that about 2,000 families in the area were affected by the unrest.