Origami Plane Boy Issued Passport To Go To Japan

[george]

Origami plane boy issued passport to go to Japan

BANGKOK: -- Thai Foreign Ministry granted on Friday a travel document for a Thai-born Burmese boy Mong Thongdee, enabling him to represent Thailand in Origami Airplane contest in Japan.

The ministry's Deputy Director General of Consular Affairs Madurapochana Ittarong granted him a 90-day travel document for alien, allowing him to make a single round trip between Thailand and Japan.

The ministry handed him the document after the Interior Ministry's Permanent Secretary Wichai Srikwan made the request on Friday.

The 12-year-old Mong was born to a couple of Burmese migrant workers in northern Chiang Mai province. He received Thai education from primary school in the province but did not obtain Thai citizenship due to his alien parents.

His origami plane could fly for 12.5 minutes in the air, top of the Thai local contest. Japan Origami Plane invited him to join the contest in Japan but the interior ministry reportedly objected his traveling for security reason.

Mong is the third non-Thai national who carried Thai travel document to abroad and has the right to return into the kingdom.

He obtained document after many attempts including asking Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to relax the regulations for him to go.

-- The Nation 2009-09-04

[A_Traveller]

Whilst really pleased to see this result, you would think someone could tell the differencing between seconds and minutes by now. The established duration record for such a model is 27+ seconds.

Good luck to K Mong in the upcoming competition.

Regards

[QED]

On...Off....On what a joke

BTW I was sceptical of this 12.5 minutes from the start. I saw him on the Thai news a few days ago and he was lucky if the thing was in the air for 10 seconds, I think the Nation are at it again and mistook 12.5 seconds for minutes

[TAWP]

"Could God make himself a paper airplane that would carry himself to another country?"

Good to see that it is official now. Can we put this embarrassing story behind us or will they continue to fumble?

[joskydive]

Good for him! It just shows what persistance and the internet can do. You never know, next we might be able to own the land our houses are built on in the next century!

[webfact]

I wish that kid good luck and all the best!!!

[Bosse137]

Japan Origami Plane invited him to join the contest in Japan but the interior ministry reportedly objected his traveling for security reason.

-- The Nation 2009-09-04

Security reason!!!????

[PoorSucker]

I see some good sponsor contracts here.

"Sponsored by Red Bull, gives you wings."

[Thai at Heart]

A very nice and proper result.

Shame it had to go all the way to the very top to get a practical decision. I hope the guy who stated he represented a "National Security" risk gets a good roasting.

Good luck.

[DocHolliday]

I feel very happy that everything came to a good end. Now he must win the contest

Good Luck!

[dkstoney]

So I guess it WASN'T impossible as they quoted in the BP. Jerks.

[AronD]

There is no way a origami or any paper airplane can be in the air for 12.5 minutes. Unless you threw it off Mount Everest and it had a 10 minute drop then it's possible. Speed relative to lift is what keeps a plane in the air. A paper airplane does not have the velocity to travel in a forward direction without some sort of engine. It’s called wind resistance and it slows down objects that are moving in a forward or upward direction. So if it doesn't have the velocity to create enough lift for that amount of time gravity kicks in and pulls the plane down. Middle School kids know this.

I could understand why they would lie about something like that for publicity, but please make it somewhat convincible. If that plane flew for 12.5 minutes, Boeing and Lockheed Martin would be buying that design off that kid for millions. They would be able to put a car engine into a 747 and have it fly using 1000% less power. It amazes me how retarded people are.

[Gonzo the Face]

There is no way a origami or any paper airplane can be in the air for 12.5 minutes. Unless you threw it off Mount Everest and it had a 10 minute drop then it's possible. Speed relative to lift is what keeps a plane in the air. A paper airplane does not have the velocity to travel in a forward direction without some sort of engine. It’s called wind resistance and it slows down objects that are moving in a forward or upward direction. So if it doesn't have the velocity to create enough lift for that amount of time gravity kicks in and pulls the plane down. Middle School kids know this.

I could understand why they would lie about something like that for publicity, but please make it somewhat convincible. If that plane flew for 12.5 minutes, Boeing and Lockheed Martin would be buying that design off that kid for millions. They would be able to put a car engine into a 747 and have it fly using 1000% less power. It amazes me how retarded people are.

======

I agree with you and would add one more bit of amazement........ Why do they all seem to write for "The Nation" ???

[jpolten]

Great news,hope he does well......maybe he can fold himself a jumbo jet and fly it up the Thai officials A** for being P***K.

A threat to National Security ......of course he will be THAI if he wins

[brahmburgers]

He could be a threat to Thai national security.

What if a fleet of a million paper airplanes buzzed over bangkok and dropped spitballs soaked in some sort of awareness enhancing compound. If some of those spitballs got in to water supplies, and people drank the water, they might raise their awareness to the degree to notice they're stuck in an overly large dirty city which barely functions. A mass exodus might ensue, with people seeking higher ground where the air is clean and it doesn't take an hour to drive one kilometer. With fewer people in the city, there would be fewer housemaids, and less tax revenue, and less no-bid contracts to build more infrastructure, with half of the revenue going in to well placed pockets.

[Tywais]

Some history on the current world record flight of 27.6 seconds > paperplane.org

[jpolten]

He could be a threat to Thai national security.

What if a fleet of a million paper airplanes buzzed over bangkok and dropped spitballs soaked in some sort of awareness enhancing compound. If some of those spitballs got in to water supplies, and people drank the water, they might raise their awareness to the degree to notice they're stuck in an overly large dirty city which barely functions. A mass exodus might ensue, with people seeking higher ground where the air is clean and it doesn't take an hour to drive one kilometer. With fewer people in the city, there would be fewer housemaids, and less tax revenue, and less no-bid contracts to build more infrastructure, with half of the revenue going in to well placed pockets.

:D....God forbid........ ....hold on,sounds like a plan....."where's all that extra printer paper gone"

[webfact]

Stateless boy Mong Thongdee shows Japan's entry visa

at Japan's Consular Office in Chiang Mai Wednesday.

His wish to attend Origami Plane Contest in Chiba hit the

headline after Interior Ministry refused to issue travel document for him.

-- The Nation 2009/09/10

[Scott]

For a country that really has little affection for the Burmese, and even less for migrants, they sure make it difficult for the kid to get out of the country.

[PeaceBlondie]

Mark Abisit seems to be a hero in this story, but Mong is the biggest hero.

[apetley]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2416...d-in-team-event

Gold in the team event.

Edited September 20, 2009 by apetley

[dumball]

Just maybe , some-one will sponser him to remain in Japan and become a citizen , that would put a 'Fly-in-the-ointment' of the humanitarian non thinking Thai authorities .

[Rumfoord]

Just maybe , some-one will sponser him to remain in Japan and become a citizen , that would put a 'Fly-in-the-ointment' of the humanitarian non thinking Thai authorities .

how deep thinking and humanitarian would it be to let that minor remain in japan?

btw. in Japan are a lot children of thais in the same situation. sans papiers. and the authorities are willing to acknowledge their citizenship.

2,000 Thai children stateless in Japan.

(From Bangkok Post) 2004

Nearly half of the 4,000 Thai children living in Japan have no citizenship and cooperation was needed from both their relatives in Thailand and the local authorities to help identify their status, said ambassador Kasit Piromya yesterday.

The Thai embassy was compiling a population census of Thai children in Japan to help identify their problems and provide necessary assistance, Mr Kasit said.

Initial findings had revealed that there were some 4,000 of them, but the final figure could be as high as 5,000. A study on their true number, which started six months ago, would be completed within a few months, he said.

They remained vulnerable to exploitation as their parents were illegally living in the country.

``We are urging the parents of over 2,000 illegal Thai children to have their kids registered for citizenship at the embassy to prevent their abandonment by Japanese society,'' the ambassador said.

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summa...86-20046478_ITM

origami paper airplane boy's parents are burmese. they should had contacted the burmese embassy to obtain the necessary documents.

it is not a case of "non thinking Thai authorities " but just the immigration laws of thailand, that don't hand out passports and citizenship to everybody. understandable.

the sad thing in this case is, that the boy was used for a PR stunt for the PM and the media delivers a distorted image of the problems of a stateless person. only travel to japan for a origami plane competition. going abroad for leisure activities.

ignoring the the life and fate of thousands of other stateless persons, like the hilltribes up north or the refugees from laos.

remember the rohingya boat people, how the got treated?

and what Abhisit said: "The prime minister reiterated that the Rohingya are economic migrants, not refugees. If any western countries want to accommodate the Rohingya, the Thai government is ready to help, he said." (BP)

So write a letter to your deep thinking and humanitarian congressman if in your world the things are so easy. in RL it is more complicated, i guess.

[webfact]

ALL-JAPAN ORIGAMI CONTEST

Mong wins third in individual event

By The Nation

Mong wins third in individual event

Mong Thongdee, the stateless boy, won the third in the individual event in the All-Japan Origami Airplane Contest in Japan on Sunday.

He and his team won the first in the team event in the same competition in Chiba of Japan.

Mong is a stateless boy who was born in Thailand to Burmese migrants. Mong, of Chiang Mai province, won paper plane competition in Thailand and was entitled to contest in Japan.

However the Interior Ministry initially rejected his application to have a temporary travel document to go to Japan on the grounds that he is stateless boy.

However the ministry changed the position after several people, including PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, stepped in.

-- The Nation 2009/09/20

[Zpete]

Mong Thongdee, congratulations.

Guess you will not see this, but our thoughts are with you.

[EffectiveAnger]

origami paper airplane boy's parents are burmese. they should had contacted the burmese embassy to obtain the necessary documents.

it is not a case of "non thinking Thai authorities " but just the immigration laws of thailand, that don't hand out passports and citizenship to everybody. understandable.

Well, I'm really happy for Mong! I think it's an incredible story. Maybe this event could help bring about more awareness and change for other stateless people around the world.

I'm not sure if Burma would have given him any documents to help him compete. If I'm not mistaken, Myanmar will not give him citizenship because he was not born in that country. If his parents are ethnic Shan or Karen, it's very unlikely that Myanmar would give him anything more than a cruel beating, perhaps much worse. Even if they were to give him citizenship, I don't think it would be in his best interest knowing how their military drafts children to abuse, drug and brainwash into killing their relatives before they themselves die young. Did you ever do any research on this? youtube.com is loaded with videos on this topic.

Maybe the UN should issue passports for stateless people so they are not put into these types of situations. I think these people should have the right to travel.

[Rumfoord]

Well, I'm really happy for Mong! I think it's an incredible story. Maybe this event could help bring about more awareness and change for other stateless people around the world.

I'm not sure if Burma would have given him any documents to help him compete. If I'm not mistaken, Myanmar will not give him citizenship because he was not born in that country. If his parents are ethnic Shan or Karen, it's very unlikely that Myanmar would give him anything more than a cruel beating, perhaps much worse. Even if they were to give him citizenship, I don't think it would be in his best interest knowing how their military drafts children to abuse, drug and brainwash into killing their relatives before they themselves die young. Did you ever do any research on this? youtube.com is loaded with videos on this topic.

Maybe the UN should issue passports for stateless people so they are not put into these types of situations. I think these people should have the right to travel.

more awareness and change for other stateless people? mhm ... wishful thinking.

glossy superficial news for today, tomorrow forgotten.

all press reports spoke about burmese parents and never used a term like ethnic refugees or similar.

Myanmar citizenship:

by descent: Child, both of whose parents are citizens of Myanmar, regardless of the child's country of birth. Child born in Myanmar of a Myanmar mother and an unknown father source

so if both parents are myanmar citizen, they could done the paper work at the embassy. by law, in theory, it is possible. i know it is maybe complicated with Burma.

and one can loose citizenship rights easy: A citizen who leaves the State permanently, or who acquires the citizenship of or registers himself as a citizen of another country, or who takes out a passport or a similar certificate of another country ceases to be a citizen. source

maybe his parents had abandon him, he is a orphan or otherwise seperetad from his parents already. we don't know.

Shan, Karen or people like the Rohingya that got their citizenship rights denied in Burma are also not so welcomed in thailand. the PM made it clear, thailand sees them as economic migrants, not refugees. Hmong refugees from laos are just got deported back.

but it is fate, so sad those stories are, thailand doesns't have the resources to give all those people a new home. i can understand that there are restrictions.

i think i know the videos on youtube you are talking about. i also read my texts about.

the stateless people, of course, should have the right to travel, the next question would be which country would give them a Visa, let them inside at all.

and the trip to japan is very far out as well and not a daily life problem for the ordinary stateless. i think these hill tribe people without thai ID cards aren't even allowed to travel to bangkok or another province. on the other hand, only 2, 3 generations ago people never thought about traveling. even in the western world. stay and live in their village all their life, behind the mountain and there was no road. and no borders, no national states, no ID cards.

now the stateless lack rights, the protection of the law, no security and every day can become a fight to survive. trip to japan - a fantasy.

i wish the boy all the best, that he can have future, study at university, left his world behing and make his own fortune or go back as a medic or become a spokesperson for his people. write a book about his life that becommes a best seller. whatever. but such biographies are not the reality.

in all these press reports was not a single word about the reality of the other stateless children, persons, but the PM good heart was mentioned all the time. that is more than odd.

[JUDAS]

Great to have some good news for a change, just saw it on the Thai news

[Credo]

According to the paper, he has taken 3rd place in the individual event. This is a youngster we can all be proud of.

[animatic]

My Mrs. told me about the 3rd place and versus many grown ups too.

Good for him!

Certainly something to be proud of,

and for all of Thailand too.

Edited September 21, 2009 by animatic