The Supreme Court has ordered the Royal Thai Army (RTA) to pay 2 million baht in compensation for the death of Lahu human rights activist Chaiyaphum Pasae, who was shot dead at a checkpoint in Chiang Mai province in 2017, the Cross-Cultural Foundation (CrCF) said on Thursday. The case was first filed in May 2019 by Napoi Pasae, Chaiyaphum's mother, who sought compensation. However, a witness told local media that Chaiyaphum was dragged out of the car, beaten, and shot. The Supreme Court verdict reversed the decisions made by both the Appeal Court in 2022 and a Civil Court in 2020 to dismiss the lawsuit. The former, in its ruling, stated that the army did not have to pay compensation to Chaiyaphum's family as it considered the M16 rifle that a soldier shot Chaiyaphum with was used in self-defence.

Source: Bangkok Post November 17, 2023 14:54 UTC