Victims Seek Relief from Thailand Radiation Leak by Phairath Khampha 30 August 2000 A group of cobalt-60 radiation leak victims and their relatives in Thailand on August 15, 2000 called on the Kamol Sukosol Company to pay them some 17 million Baht (1 $US=40.5 Thai baht) in compensation and vowed to fight on if their plea was rejected. The group, led by Kampol Wuthisarnsunthorn, said the 17,672,000 baht would compensate 11 victims, including the families of those who died after the massive radiation leak in Samut Prakan Province in February. "We call on the company to have sympathy for the victims who died or fell ill," Kampol said, "They are ordinary people who are struggling to make ends meet." He said the company should take into account both legal and humanitarian aspects when considering their demands. He said the victims' families could never return to their normal lives since the accident. The group categorised the victims into three types. The first covers five people who died or became disabled, the second the four radioactivity patients and the last two people whose chromosomes were destroyed and would have deformed children. However, the group seems unlikely to receive much sympathy from the company as after it had waited some time to deliver its written request a mere clerk came out to meet it. In Thailand most commercial businessesare run by arrogant owners who could not care less about anyone, particularly when it comes to paying compensation of their own mistakes, as was the case here. In retaliation, the group refused to hand over the letter and posted it up in front of the company, saying that the public should be informed of the company's apathy towards the victims' plight. Kampol said the group would fight to demand justice and disclosed a plan to write to the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OEAP), the Science Ministry and the government. Worawit Charoenlert, chairman of Help for Cobalt 60 Victims, accused Kamol Sukosol Co of turning a deaf ear to the victims' suffering. He suggested that the August 15 action was just the beginning of their fight and vowed to go the whole hog to put the issue in the limelight. "We attempted to submit our request today because we thought we could talk to the company," he said, "Our request is in fact relatively small." Worawit said the company should review its stance because it was running away from its responsibilities. He said that the group would write to Science Minister Arthit Urairat on Friday to demand an urgent investigation into the case, saying that the public should be informed of the causes of the disaster. Radiation victims turn to government for medical care The vicitms suffering from exposure to the radioactive waste container submitted a letter to Science Minister Arthit Urairat on August 18 seeking help after the Kamol Sukosol Company rejected demands for compensation. Three of the victims affected by the radiation leak in February said on the same day they had not received sufficient medical care and had virtually been left to fend for themselves. Pattana Thamniyom, 34, Sureenoi Yocharoen, 22 and Somjai Kaewpradab, 22, suffer from chromosome abnormality. Pattana was also forced to abort her four-month pregnancy as her unborn son had been harmed by the radiation. They also did not receive enough information on how to take care of themselves when initially discharged from hospital, saying a later check-up found abnormalities. Ida Arunwongse, from the Future Alternative Energy Group, who helped the victims make their demands, urged the Science Ministry to provide funds to help the victims meet heavy medical expenses. "Long-term measures to help the victims must be set up as well," she added. While Ida vowed to help the victims pressure Kamol Sukosol into accepting its responsibilities, the open letter demanded the government launch an investigation into the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OEAP). It said the office's failure to keep the company, which disposed radioactive material in an incorrect way, under surveillance had resulted in the death and injury of many people. The victims also demanded the investigation results be made public. They also asked the government to provide funds for the medical expenses incurred both before and after their request. The victims urged the government to establish a committee of radioactive therapists, academics, plus government and victims' representatives to draw up long-term measures to help those affected. To avoid a repeat of the tragedy, the victims said the government should review current policies that favour nuclear-development projects. They said the country lacked security management and was unprepared to help those harmed by radiation. Arthit said he would consider their demands and would try to negotiate with Kamol Sukosol. However, he said court action against the company would be required to ensure their case was properly heard. Arthit also agreed the OEAP, an agency under his ministry's supervision, should take responsibility for the accident, saying the issue was being investigated. But he said the scrap workers, who took the Cobalt 60 from the company's compound, were to blame as well. The minister claimed the victims had been given the best treatment possible at Rajavithi Hospital, also controlled by the ministry. Cobalt-60 victims seek redress - Prime Minister Chuan petitioned for fair compensation The group of people harmed by the cobalt-60 radiation leak in Samut Prakan and families of those who died petitioned the prime minister for help on August 29. In a petition handed to Amnuay Patise, the premier's deputy secretary-general, they complained that since the leakage at the scrap metal shop at Wat Mahawong community in Phra Pradaeng district six months previously, the victims had not been fairly compensated and the official investigation had not been completed. Most of the victims were breadwinners, and their deaths and injuries had caused great hardship to their families, they said. The group asked that money from the Environment Fund be spent to help relieve the families' hardship and some of it set aside as a fund for legal action against Kamol Sukosol Electric Co, which had stored three cobalt-60 cylinders at its open-air parking lot, one of was stolen and subsequently ended up at the scrap shop. Ratchawithi Hospital was still owed seven million baht for the treatment it gave to the radiation victims, for which neither the company nor the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace has taken responsibility, the victims claimed. So far, Kamol Sukosol has paid a total of 200,000 baht to all the victims, including 30,000 baht to a woman who had to abort her pregnancy. Suwat Apaipakdi, the company's lawyer, said 25,000 baht was compensation for her unborn baby and 5,000 baht for a month's leave from her job as assistant to a hairdresser. Mr Suwat on August 28 met officials of the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace, which is in charge of radiation safety, to discuss the company's responsibility towards the victims, but the meeting reached no conclusions, as was expected. Mr Suwat refused to elaborate on the extent of responsibility the company was prepared to take in the matter. The company insisted on classifying victims into innocent and guilty parties. "The cobalt-60 cylinders had been well kept... There were little signs telling what they were. But [the scrap collectors] didn't recognise them. The government should change the warning label," Mr Suwat said. He said compensation would be made only to innocent victims. Apparently classified as "not innocent" are the scrap collectors and the scrap metal shopowner and her workers who broke open the cyclinder. Mr Suwat said the case against them was far from over, and the company would not be swayed by the fact that the police decided not to press any charges. Asked what long-term action Kamol Sukosol would take for victims who might develop future complications such as cancer, he said if it was cancer, the cause would have to be proven first. "It would be necessary to verify whether the cancer was caused by exposure to cobalt-60 radiation or by consuming too much barbecued pork, unwashed beans soaked in dirty water, or food with too much pesticide in it," Mr Suwat said. He attributed the victims' threat to file a 17-million-baht lawsuit against the company to "manoeuvring by an insurance agent". The petitioners on August 29 criticised the Public Health Ministry for failing to provide all Wat Mahawong residents with follow-up medical check-ups. They also demanded that the government come up with measures to deal with the long-term impact on victims' health and review its policy to support nuclear energy.