Elderly Stateless Residents in Chiang Rai Pass Away Awaiting Thai Citizenship

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Numerous stateless senior citizens in Chiang Rai have unfortunately died before getting Thai citizenship, due to slow administrative processes. A teacher from Chiang Mai, Daeng, has insisted Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visit the area to see the situation in person.

 

Daeng, whose complete name is Tuenjai Deetes, alongside Pienporn Deetes, the Secretary-General of the Foundation for Community Development and Mountainous Areas (FACD), and other human rights officials, held a meeting in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai yesterday, July 17.

 

Supported by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (THPF), the event aimed to explore new ways to enhance the health of stateless elderly people. Over a hundred elderly people belonging to the Tai Lue community from various districts took part in the meeting.

 

Tuenjai remarked that the forum gave the elderly a chance to voice their experiences about applying for Thai citizenship. Some have been waiting for their applications to be approved for as long as three months to four years.

 

The aim of the meeting was to address ongoing issues since the launch of the citizenship project in 2012. The effort aims to support ethnic minorities and communities who have resided in Thailand for more than 40 years, have Thai descendants, and have made their lives in Thailand, but have not yet gained Thai citizenship.

 

There are currently more than 110,000 stateless elderly individuals in Thailand, with around 16,000 having applied for citizenship. The FACD is working to help these individuals get citizenship, acknowledging their vulnerable state due to their extended stay in Thailand.

 

 

As for progress, approximately 1,000 people in Chiang Rai alone are still in various stages of the process. Many applications have crossed the provincial level and are now awaiting approval from the Minister of Interior.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has been invited to visit the location and meet these stateless individuals to better understand their situation. The lengthy nationality process has led to a significant number of elderly individuals dying while waiting for their applications to be approved.

 

According to Tuenjai, the Thai government should develop a national plan to address the status of stateless individuals. With Thailand being a major receiver of refugees, clarification is needed for those who have been residing in the country for a long time but still are without citizenship.

 

Amid ongoing violence in Myanmar and other migration issues, Tuenjai also suggests a review of nationality laws, such as those for Chinese nationals during King Rama V's reign. The aim is to simplify the process involving many organizations and establish a specific legal code for nationality issues.

 

Aen Liuchai, President of the Tai Lue Association, pointed out that many elderly Tai Lue individuals have been waiting for their citizenship applications to be processed for years. The oldest participant at the forum was an 86-year-old.

 

Applications of over 100 people from the Mae Sai district alone have crossed the provincial level and have been forwarded to the Ministry of Interior since 2017. Among the elderly who applied in 2017, 10 have since died. Many older people are eagerly tracking their application status, hoping to become Thai citizens.

 

Lastly, an attendee stated, "We live here and want to be Thai citizens. We wish to die as Thai citizens. We are proud to be Thai. We have been waiting for 50 to 60 years. We have hope because we have homes, food, jobs, and families in Thailand.”

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-07-18

 

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