Southern violence creates 2,000 orphans

Yala (TNA)

The violence in Thailand's restive South has so far taken the parents of more than 2,000 children, Yala governor Theera Minthrasak said on Tuesday.

The governor presided over a ceremony to award state compensation money totalling 573,000 baht (US$16,500) to 130 victims of violence in the three southern border provinces.

Each injured person received 3,000,baht while 6,000 baht was presented to relatives or heirs of deceased victims.

There are currently over 1,000 widows, whose husbands were killed in insurgent attacks and the number of orphans, whose parents were killed in the unrest has surpassed 2,000, the governor said.

Meanwhile, Kasama Varawan Na Ayudhaya, Secretary-General of the Office of the Basic Education Commission said that 130 high school students from the five southern border provinces will be given scholarships to study in famous schools in Bangkok during their last school year to prepare for entering university.

The Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) will select 130 students with good performance and those who were affected by the southern violence. Classes will begin in 13 Bangkok schools in June.