Travails of a stateless Thai-born university graduate

[webfact]

Travails of a stateless Thai-born university graduate

By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

 

  

A picture of Sangduen Longta in her medical school uniform. Photo: Sangduen Longta / Facebook

 

BANGKOK — Chiang Mai-native Sangduen Longta has been trying in vain to search for jobs since she graduated in December from Phayao University. It’s not because of her poor grades – as the 23-year-old’s GPA of 2.85 is decent and her degree in public health education is in demand.

 

Sangduen was dismayed to discover that all the open positions at Thailand’s Public Health Ministry indicated that she’s not eligible to even apply. Her “crime” – or lack of qualification – was due to the fact that she was born stateless, to a Myanmar migrant’s father and a Thai Yai’s mother, and remained stateless to this day.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/02/05/travails-stateless-thai-born-university-graduate/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-02-06

[Just1Voice]

This is just so wrong on so many levels, it's disgusting.

 

[Thechook]

Disgusting and so very racist.  

[thai3]

 

5 minutes ago, Thechook said:

Disgusting and so very racist.  

How is it 'racist'? both parents are Asian, the same race, one is a different nationality. Racist is banded about far too often when there is none

[Briggsy]

I am farang. Most of the posters on this forum are farang. They and I will condemn this situation as they and I come from individualistic societies where the rights of the individual are prioritised.

 

Asian societies are collectivist. The stability of society is prioritised over the rights of individuals. One facet of this is that citizenship is not given out lightly and controls are placed on the rights of foreigners. In this case, the right to work in the public sector is effectively denied to those not holding citizenship.

 

It is a very different way of looking at things.

[Thechook]

5 minutes ago, thai3 said:

 

How is it 'racist'? both parents are Asian, the same race, one is a different nationality. Racist is banded about far too often when there is none

Well discrimination based on ones ethnicity 

[Bullie]

6 minutes ago, Thechook said:

Well discrimination based on ones ethnicity 

It is neither racist, nor ethno-centric. It is not another race, and nowhere is it obvious that it has anything to do with superiority over another ethnic group or culture.

It is purely a choice of the Thai people to reserve this kind of job for the Thai. A very acceptable and understandable choice, same as Donald Trump want the American people to have a job, rather than having the job done by foreigners.

My son, born in Thailand to a Cambodian mother faces the same problem , being a Dutchman in Thailand. The choice to go to Myanmar can still be hers.

[trogers]

Doctors without borders have no need for a public health graduate?

[AGareth2]

the problem of stateless Thai residents of long standing(generations) needs to be addressed

[jollyhangmon]

1 hour ago, AGareth2 said:

the problem of stateless Thai residents of long standing(generations) needs to be addressed

Certainly so, and as of yesterday!

 

And as for racist or ethno-centric or not respectively ... well, it sure is on the dumber end of nationalism.

 

You have her educated in your very own system - as far as that goes - with even good scores and you need people with her skills as i am told. She probably lived her life more 'Thai' than half of the 'true' population.
Yet you don't hire her?

That's what i call dumb, plain & simple. 

Or over-boarding & unjustified nationalism, more detailed if you will.

[DerekMarshall]

I might have completely missed the point here but if her mother is Thai doesn't that give her the right to Thai nationality and of course Burmese given that her father is from there. Most certainly should be under laws of "jus sanguis" 

 

[connda]

4 hours ago, Thechook said:

Well discrimination based on ones ethnicity 

This is nothing unique to Thailand.  She should look at opportunities outside of Thailand. It's a big world with many opportunities for those willing to leave their country of birth and their personal comfort zone.
And life ain't fair.  I took 'fair' out of my personal dictionary many decades ago. 

[connda]

16 minutes ago, DerekMarshall said:

I might have completely missed the point here but if her mother is Thai doesn't that give her the right to Thai nationality and of course Burmese given that her father is from there. Most certainly should be under laws of "jus sanguis" 

 

Agreed.  If her mother is native Thai, then why is she 'stateless.'  There is more to the story here than is being reported. 

[simon43]

... Thai Yai’s ...

 

They actually mean 'Tai Yai' ethnic group, not a Thai mother.  So it is very possible that her mother is a hill-tribe women without Thai citizenship.

[jdlancaster]

She is eligible for Thai citizenship through both Thai and international law. The problem lies with hilltribes often not registering births over multiple generations and trying to work your way through the Thai bureaucracy. There are many NGOs that are trying to help the hill tribes in doing this but it is a uphill battle.... it even includes teaching Thai officials... Thai law..... http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/diversity/trafficking-hiv/projects/highland-citizenship-and-birth-registration-project/

It is simply too difficult and expensive for many individuals to get through the process without a lot of help.

[AGareth2]

Her mother is Shan

[NCC1701A]

She is kind of cute. I will grant her asylum at my embassy here in Hua Hin.

 

 

[JohnMiller70]

2.85 GPA is decent? It's barely a C! I am sure that does not help much 

[Bullie]

2 hours ago, jollyhangmon said:

Certainly so, and as of yesterday!

 

And as for racist or ethno-centric or not respectively ... well, it sure is on the dumber end of nationalism.

 

You have her educated in your very own system - as far as that goes - with even good scores and you need people with her skills as i am told. She probably lived her life more 'Thai' than half of the 'true' population.
Yet you don't hire her?

That's what i call dumb, plain & simple. 

Or over-boarding & unjustified nationalism, more detailed if you will.

At least the Thai gave her the chance of a wonderful university education. There is plenty of work in the private sector, or she could do good by moving to Myanmar, or elsewhere to spread her expertisce given to her freely en generously by the Thai people. She knew this in advance, of course!!

[sanemax]

2 hours ago, connda said:

.  She should look at opportunities outside of Thailand. It's a big world with many opportunities for those willing to leave their country of birth and their personal comfort zone.
 

 As She is stateless, she will not have a passport and will not be able to leave Thailand

[sanemax]

2 hours ago, jdlancaster said:

She is eligible for Thai citizenship through both Thai and international law. The problem lies with hilltribes often not registering births over multiple generations and trying to work your way through the Thai bureaucracy.

She isnt eligible for Thai citizenship, if neither of her parents are Thai

[gk10002000]

so how did she get into the university?  No ID checks?  No application?  Surely she paid in-state tuition or not?  Her residency or nationality never came up?

[Briggsy]

2 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

so how did she get into the university?  No ID checks?  No application?  Surely she paid in-state tuition or not?  Her residency or nationality never came up?

This situation is not uncommon. Either the university or the Ministry of Education gives a dispensation for her to study or they issue a certificate that is the equivalent of a degree. A document which states what she has studied and what her grades were but it may not be the same documentation as that received by those holding Thai nationality.

 

I am certain Miss Sangduen was well aware that she was ineligible for any position in the Ministry of Public Health. I suspect this story is as much an online c.v. as it is a raising of the nationality issue.

[SGD]

Obtaining the necessary paperwork for her to be Thai should have been procured many years ago, long before she grew up.

 

I can obtain enough paperwork to register a child as mine and that of a Thai mother on any day of the week and without any great expense.

[Bullie]

57 minutes ago, sanemax said:

She isnt eligible for Thai citizenship, if neither of her parents are Thai

Yes you are. My son, 7 years old, Dutch and Cambodian, born in Thailand is currently applying for Thai citizenship. See the Speech on januari 1, 2017,  by the government.

[Briggsy]

1 minute ago, SGD said:

Obtaining the necessary paperwork for her to be Thai should have been procured many years ago, long before she grew up.

 

I can obtain enough paperwork to register a child as mine and that of a Thai mother on any day of the week and without any great expense.

Please read the story again. Her mother does not hold Thai citizenship.

[sanemax]

Just now, SGD said:

Obtaining the necessary paperwork for her to be Thai should have been procured many years ago, long before she grew up.

 

I can obtain enough paperwork to register a child as mine and that of a Thai mother on any day of the week and without any great expense.

 

   Yes YOU can, but She cannot

[Bullie]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

 As She is stateless, she will not have a passport and will not be able to leave Thailand

She has multiple options. She can slip across the border, and get registered in Myanmar. This is entirely feasable, I did the same with my son, born in Thailand to a " stateless Cambodian refugee". There were no questions asked, a simple registration in the family housebook sufficed.

Alternatively she can apply to a position abroad, and apply for a " laissez-passer", which the Thai government is obliged to give due to international law. Also, I might mention, it is the San (TaiYai) to which tribe she belongs, that did not, explicitely not, want to become Thai subjects. They are chinese, after all.

[sanemax]

6 minutes ago, Bullie said:

Yes you are. My son, 7 years old, Dutch and Cambodian, born in Thailand is currently applying for Thai citizenship. See the Speech on januari 1, 2017,  by the government.

Could you tell me the procedure , as I would like to do the same . 

 

[sanemax]

4 minutes ago, Bullie said:

She has multiple options. She can slip across the border, and get registered in Myanmar. This is entirely feasable,

That wouldnt be legal though .

Also, there may be no records of her being Burmese (in Burma) , so they wouldnt "register" her there 

Her Parents may have been born in Thailand .