Thai Co pays compensation to
families of Burmese migrants
by Than Htike Oo
Thursday, 19 February 2009 21:17
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - A Thai Life Insurance
Company has begun paying compensation today for
37 Burmese people, out of a total of 54, who were
suffocated to death on their way to Thailand,
illegally in a refrigerated container car. The
company paid Baht 35,000 each to the families of the victims.
At least 121 Burmese migrant workers tried to
enter
container car on April 9, 2008 and 54 of them
suffocated to death on the way. Therefore, the
Thai life insurance company, '
compensation to their families today.
"Only 41 people could come to claim the
compensation for their kith and kin yesterday.
But, some of them could not produce all the
documents needed to claim the compensation and
the family members of only 37 victims were paid
Baht 35,000 for each victim," 'Federation of
Trade Unions of Burma' (FTUB) Thai Office Labour
Affairs in-charge Ko Tin Tun
Aung told Mizzima.
The family members of 41 victims out of a total
of 54 came yesterday to claim the compensation.
But due to lack of required documents, families
of only 37 victims received the compensation.
"According to the provision of the law, the
compensation entitled in this case is Baht
100,000 in total. We have to go through further
court proceedings and the insurance company will
pay additional Baht 65,000 later, depending on
the court verdict," Ko Tin Tun
Aung further said.
"It will take more time. It is difficult to say
now as it depends on the court proceedings and court verdicts," he added.
The container car, which carried the Burmese
workers, was insured by '
company and the victims were entitled to get
insurance benefit at Baht 100,000 each, if their
families can prove they were killed by this car.
It has been learnt that Thai lawyers, 'Thai
Action Committee for Democracy in
Burmese authorities in Kawthaung and FTUB worked
hard to get the compensation for these victims.
The Burmese victims suffocated to death during
their journey near Suk Samraran
between Phuket and Ranong.
67 survivors were detained by the Thai
Immigration authorities in Ranong for about two
weeks and then they were deported to the Thai-Burma border.
The Thai authorities arrested the car driver and
owner in connection with this case and they
pleaded guilty at the trial court, which gave
them 12 years imprisonment each in August 2008.
Later, the sentences were lessened by 6 years
each for pleading guilty in court.
Most of the victims, who suffocated to death
hailed from Thaton, Kyaikto,
and Mawlamyaing and Chaungsong
towns in
<http://mizzima.com/news/regional/1738-thai-co-pays-compensation-to-families-of-burmese-migrants.html>http://mizzima.com/news/regional/1738-thai-co-pays-compensation-to-families-of-burmese-migrants.html