Cave rescue highlights plight of Thailand's stateless people

[rooster59]

Cave rescue highlights plight of Thailand's stateless people

By Panu Wongcha-um and James Pearson

 

Ethnic minorities line up at a temple fair, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand July 13, 2018. Picture taken July 13, 2018. REUTERS/Panu Wongcha-um

 

MAE SAI, Thailand (Reuters) - On the Thai side of the mountainous border with Myanmar, where 12 boys and their football coach were rescued from a flooded cave last week, thousands of stateless people live trapped between countries with no access to some basic rights.

 

All of the boys and their 25-year-old coach, who make up the 'Wild Boars' soccer team, will be discharged from hospital next week following a three-day rescue that evoked international relief and joy.

 

Although the Wild Boars are now viewed in this Southeast Asian country as national treasures, four of them are technically stateless. At least two of the boys, however, are already in the advance stages of obtaining citizenship.

 

"I feel very good that the Wild Boars cave story has put a spotlight on this issue," Tuanjai Deetes, Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, told Reuters.

 

"We must put more emphasis on this domestically as well as internationally. There are still many stateless people."

 

According to official statistics, 486,440 people are registered with the Thai government as stateless, of whom 146,269 are - like three of the Wild Boars - under 18 years old.

 

There are several groups whose people have over generations moved around the region, across open borders in remote hills between southern China, Myanmar and Laos, and into northern Thailand's ethnic patchwork of communities.

 

The blurry-border province of Chiang Rai, at the northern tip of Thailand, has long been an entry point for illegal migrants, people smuggling and drug trafficking from the 'Golden Triangle' area that straddles Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

 

But it is the better economic conditions in wealthier Thailand that have most attracted families from the other side of the border.

 

Once in Thailand, they are eligible for basic education and healthcare but face travel restrictions, have no access to financial services, and cannot get married or buy property.

 

"Whilst some progress has been made, stateless people in Thailand continue to face challenges accessing some of their basic rights," said Hannah Macdonald with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

 

"Examples include restrictions on their freedom of movement, healthcare, access to financial services, being able to get married, and to own property or land."

 

Somsak Kanakham, chief of the district office in Mae Sai, the area within which the boys were trapped in the cave, said his office was ultimately just following Thai law.

 

"I understand why on human rights grounds we all want to resolve this issue," he said. "But it's a matter which concerns national security."

 

'MAJOR CHALLENGE'

 

The number of people in limbo is understated by the official data because many have not yet registered as stateless.

 

In the Mae Sai district alone, there are more than 27,000 pending cases of stateless people who have applied for Thai citizenship.

 

"The last time the government surveyed this village was in 2011. Now there are more than 210 new people," Tuanjai told Reuters in the village of Prachao Tum Jai, 8 km (5 miles) from the cave, where around 400 people of the "Dara-ang" hill tribe live.

 

Most of the villagers, who make a living by growing pineapples and rice, do not have Thai citizenship, and over 200 are not even registered as stateless, Tuanjai said.

 

"The major challenge is the migration pattern. There is a lot of movement, and a lack of information about the registration process."

 

Stateless people who can prove they have lived in Thailand for at least 10 years can apply for citizenship, which then takes around six months to process, said Vitat Techabun, director-general of Thailand's Department of Children and Youth.

 

But Tuanjai says "exploitation by officials" who demand bribes to facilitate citizenship applications has sometimes stood in the way of this process.

 

Mae Sai district chief Somsak Kanakham said his office has partnered with civil society groups on the issue to ensure more transparency and combat corruption.

 

The Wild Boars' coach, 25-year-old Ekkapol Chantawong, is a member of the Tai Lue minority, one of several groups in the region. He hopes to become a Thai citizen, a friend and relative told Reuters last Thursday.

 

Tarn Aree, 35, another stateless Tai Lue who lives in the town of Chiang Rai, and her son are struggling to obtain citizenship. Despite her son's age, 11, he has the same technical status as a "migrant worker", meaning he is officially living in Thailand, the country of his birth, temporarily.

 

"Many of us have been applying for citizenship for years but we haven't got it," said Tarn as she queued with friends for free bags of rice at a fair hosted by a Buddhist temple.

 

"We can't technically buy land so we need to use other people with Thai citizenship to buy land for us," she said. "I just want my son to truly own our home".

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-14

[Bullie]

It is a terrible ordeal. My wife came to Thailand as a Cambodian war refugee after Pol Pot in 1983, and was given leave to stay because of Thai co-sanguinity in her family. We have been applying for Thai citizenship, or at least a passport so she can travel, for 10 years, and last year we finally managed to send the application formally through the Amphur (at a cost under the table of 300.000 baht) and on its way to Bangkok where it is now "sitting". Meanwhile my wife is not allowed to leave the province, is not allowed to work legally and can not own land or start a business.

Also, even if she wanted, she can not go back to Cambodia, there is no living family, there are no legal documents.

It sort of feels unjust to put somebodies life on halt for 35 years.

Edited July 14, 2018 by Bullie

[JAG]

"I understand why on human rights grounds we all want to resolve this issue," he said. "But it's a matter which concerns national security."

 

Too right, they look like a major threat to national security, especially that small one in the middle of the photo, the one with a green tee shirt. Looks like she could shake the very foundations of the state that one. Who knows what damage the ones in the baby slings could do...

 

More to the point, if they ever get citizenship it will be so much more difficult for venal officials, labour gang masters and other influential people to bully, extort and exploit them.

 

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by metisdead
Copyrighted photo removed.

[Chris Lawrence]

How long will Reuters carry on this line of critique? As sad as it was with the lads trapped in the caves the trappings of the people in charge was exposed. To talk about this while the rescue was on was pure sacrilege to some here on TV, but why did the Governor get transferred? Only 60% of funds were reaching the destination as designated by the interior minister; the Deputy Police Commissioner wai'   to the penis drinking businessman and involved with $6 million gift from the Brothel owner.

 

If the purse strings were let go from Bangkok the country may fall into place. For years these people have been moving between areas. Unfortunately civilisation has come to town with all its trappings.

[ukrules]

I have a feeling these kids from the cave and their families will be Thai citizens very quickly.

 

[yellowboat]

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

There are several groups whose people have over generations moved around the region, across open borders in remote hills between southern China, Myanmar and Laos, and into northern Thailand's ethnic patchwork of communities.

It is fascinating.  Some who have proved they were descendants from KMT soldiers have resettled in Taiwan.   They have restaurants in Nan Shi Jiao, a part of Taipei.   They have added more to the community.

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

But Tuanjai says "exploitation by officials" who demand bribes to facilitate citizenship applications has sometimes stood in the way of this process.

Of course, where would Thailand be without its slimy official taking advantage of the less fortunate and helpless?  And people in the Thai government wonder why they are hated and mistrusted. 

[lvr181]

18 hours ago, rooster59 said:

 

But Tuanjai says "exploitation by officials" who demand bribes to facilitate citizenship applications has sometimes stood in the way of this process.

Who would have guessed? 

 

Money still remains king! And taking advantage of the disadvantaged says a lot about the endemic corruption in the kingdom.

[Bangkok Barry]

9 hours ago, yellowboat said:

And people in the Thai government wonder why they are hated and mistrusted. 

 

I think you could apply that about people in any government in the world. And I doubt that the Thai government wonders. They don't care.

[Bangkok Barry]

13 hours ago, ukrules said:

I have a feeling these kids from the cave and their families will be Thai citizens very quickly.

 

 

Sadly, I doubt it. They will be forgotten by everyone within weeks.

[GeeKay]

Them 3 boys and the coach better hope they don't get sent to IDC in Bangkok. I was just in there for 8 days for an over stay of my visa of 6 days before eventually deportation went ahead.

 

If they are sent there as they are supposed to be they will be better off crawling back into that cave asap.

[cbc]

GeeKay why do you think the three boys and the coach would be sent to the IDC?They are members of one of the hilltribe people that are stateless but documented as such and as mentioned before are allowed to stay in Thailand but cannot travel ,own land or merry.Otherwise I am sure they wouldn.t be coaching and playing soccer openly.Probably the families have been their for year's and also attend school.

[metisdead]

An offensive post has been removed as well as the reply. 

[bangrak]

11 reactions on this topic, over 300 about this Musk character, IMHO, shows a lot about the people's interest for essential(!) things nowadays (with 'modern media'), like these thousands and thousands Thailand refuses to give an ID to, for generations, ...maybe because their ancestors were on this soil the odd century(!)  before the 'newbies' calling themselves 'Thai' now (thank you fascist dictator Songkhram!) forebears of ever put a foot on it, mostly as captives from Siamese Kings (war tribute)... Ah, History (the real one I mean, not the Walt Disney stuff made official here)!

Shame on you, Thai State, these people have more RIGHT to live where they are than any of your families, you bunch of decorated mandarins!

Still fascists, are we, hmm? It's a disease which mostly grows together with nationalism and militarism, not a surprise then over here nowadays, is it? The more shamefull, I'd say?

P.S.: The size might not be the same, the depth though much greater, than the story of those Bengali-calling-themselves-rohingya making big news. But them not being muslims and smaller in number, makes them un-interesting for the manipulat-ed/-ing Al Jazeera, or the lost BBC, and the fallen CNN... Nobody interested, no heavily subsidised so-called NGO's for sure!

Edited July 16, 2018 by bangrak

[lvr181]

"Another figure has been suspicious in his absence – with 13 members of a soccer team trapped underground, the head of the Football Association of Thailand has been neither seen nor heard........Somyot Poompanmoung’s only contribution appears to have been to write a letter thanking FIFA for its good wishes."

 

Those poor stateless kids who play soccer/football are, obviously, not 'recognised' by this retard!

 

And what is his background?  "Somyot may have been wise to stay out of the limelight – when he was national police chief in 2015 he offered a $120,000 reward over the Erawan Shrine bombing that killed 20 people and injured 125, only to give the money to his team. Earlier this year he came under suspicion for having received about $12 million from the owner of the Victoria’s Secret brothel, which had been raided after a 12-year-old was trafficked along with other underage girls. An investigation into the money continues, but before the cave crisis Somyot’s last public utterance was that he was thinking about running for office at the next election."

 

Just another monied elitist who's only interest is MONEY & POWER - NOT the sport or those who play it!

 

The quotes are from an investigative journalist.

[lvr181]

On 7/15/2018 at 2:08 AM, Chris Lawrence said:

How long will Reuters carry on this line of critique? As sad as it was with the lads trapped in the caves the trappings of the people in charge was exposed. To talk about this while the rescue was on was pure sacrilege to some here on TV, but why did the Governor get transferred? Only 60% of funds were reaching the destination as designated by the interior minister; the Deputy Police Commissioner wai'   to the penis drinking businessman and involved with $6 million gift from the Brothel owner.

 

If the purse strings were let go from Bangkok the country may fall into place. For years these people have been moving between areas. Unfortunately civilisation has come to town with all its trappings.

 

"Away from the mouth of Tham Luang Nang Non cave, Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osotanakorn has fought and lost another battle – to keep his job.

The face of the rescue effort, an appointed bureaucrat who stepped into the breach when leadership was lacking, has been “bounced” sideways to a smaller province despite being assertive and effective where others have bickered and passed the buck. But it was precisely the qualities he has shown as the world has watched the rescue of the 12 boys and their soccer coach that earned him the wrath of the ruling junta.

 

In a long investigative piece titled “Warlord v Warlord”, the weekly news feature magazine Manager Weekend detailed the fight between Narongsak and Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda – a former army chief and powerful member of the ruling junta. In only a year on the job, Narongsak has a spotless record of following regulations, refusing to approve national projects over budgetary irregularities, and querying potential corruption. He said for some projects, as much as 60 per cent of the official budget was not spent in his province. The most politically sensitive was a $12 million waste management centre and incinerator, built without consideration for the nearby residents. The magazine says it may not function. 

 

He also opened “rotten wounds” over statues of culturally significant catfish on a series of islands where ownership is disputed, and artworks that had been purchased at 10 times their actual value. The Weekend Manager piece said Narongsak was effective enough, and annoying enough to powerful interests, for Anupong and close army colleague – Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha – to “bounce” Narongsak sideways at a cabinet meeting three months ago.

 

A former consultant who worked on local government projects in the province separately confirmed there had been tensions over corruption, saying the Interior Ministry had a decades-long reputation for graft. Anti-corruption campaigner Srisuwan Janya, meanwhile, told Khaosod newspaper there was no doubt Narongsak’s move to Phayao was a demotion for asking awkward questions. “It’s considered a punishment in the bureaucracy,” Srisuwan said.

 

While the decision was made months ago, the transfer was announced publicly only last week as the rescue effort intensified. Many Thais on social media wondered why a man who had clearly been effective at managing a crisis, with overwhelming international attention, could be moved and implored Prayuth to let him stay on as governor. The government says the move was part of the usual annual reshuffle of bureaucrats.

 

Narongsak, his focus on the rescue, has said little on the matter. In leaving a Line group chat, he told his colleagues he was proud of his work and urged them to continue their efforts. “I love Chiang Rai,” he concluded. “I love everyone.”

 

Democracy will only be 'Thai style' with the 'warlords' still being in control even when in the background. 

 

Text above my comment, from an investigative journalist.

 

[sanemax]

On 7/15/2018 at 4:50 PM, GeeKay said:

Them 3 boys and the coach better hope they don't get sent to IDC in Bangkok. I was just in there for 8 days for an over stay of my visa of 6 days before eventually deportation went ahead.

If they are sent there as they are supposed to be they will be better off crawling back into that cave asap.

They are not supposed to be in IDC though , they are supposed to be in a Thai school .

   BTW , how did you end up getting deported for a six day overstay ?