¡¡¡¡BANGKOK, Sept. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Thailand's Central Administrative Court ordered the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP) to pay 5.2 million baht (123,800 US dollars) to 12 radiation poisoning victims, the Bangkok Post reported Saturday.

¡¡¡¡The court found the OAEP had neglected its duty in supervising the proper use and storage of radioactive substance as required bythe 1961 Atomic Energy for Peace Act.

¡¡¡¡In its ruling the court said that in the 20 years before the leak in 2000, the OAEP had run a total of five checks aimed at verifying the whereabouts of Cobalt-60 imported into the country.

¡¡¡¡It said the OAEP had also completely omitted to keep track of how the supplier handled the expired radioactive materials, thus it should be punished by compensating the 12 victims who filed their compensation case on March 7, 2001.

¡¡¡¡Judge Saisuda Sethabutr said the OAEP's negligence had paved the way for the cobalt-60 cylinders to be stolen from the parking lot of Kamol Sukosol Electric Plc in Samut Prakan province, 30 kilometers north of Bangkok, and unknowingly opened by garbage scavengers in February 2000.

¡¡¡¡The case was another victory for the victims of state negligence. Victims of the Klong Toey chemical fire won a similar lawsuit against the Port Authority of Thailand last year. Enditem

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