Such a Long Story of Nationalityless Persons in Thailand..!!

It focus on solving problems of nationality-less persons who were born in Thailand and really exists in the civil registration system of the country such as Jorbi who is an indigenous person with Karen ethnic in Phetburi, or Mae Ai people who are also indigenous to the Mae Ai area in Chiang Mai.

Such a Long Story of Nationalityless Persons in Thailand[1] 

30^th August 2007

An editorial department of Thai Post  

On 29^th August 2007, the office of Welfare Promotion, Protection and Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups held a forum for public hearing on the draft Nationality Act. The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Justice – Mr. Charan Pakdeethanakul – expressed that the nationality law being in force nowadays is using for such a long time and also can not practically use in reality of present situations. A number of real Thai children will lose an opportunity to acquire Thai nationality. 

Therefore, this new draft of the Nationality Act will focus mainly on Thai nationality acquirement under both ius sanguinis and ius soli, as well as establish the equality in the society. 

The permanent secretary also told that there was a group of terrorists in the south of Thailand gathering those oppressed nationality-less people, giving them a support, and also setting them an evil mind until they are no more afraid to sacrifice their life to terrorize the Government. This information came from those terrorists arrested. 

Furthermore, another draft Nationality Act by National Legislative Assembly was also discussed. In the forum, there was a nationality-less person participating. Ms. Hongping Yew, a 16-year-old student, asked the Government for help. She said that she would really like to have Thai nationality because she was born in Thailand. She also expressed that she was really worried about a chance to study in higher degrees and also a chance to get a good job. For all the time, she has had a problem, especially about studying. That is one reason why she really doubts about her future without Thai nationality. 

Associate Professor Phunthip Kanchanachittra Saisoonthorn, Faculty of law, Thammasat University, said that this draft Nationality Act by National Legislative Assembly will not include those new comers. It focuses on solving problems of nationality-less persons who were born in Thailand and really exists in the civil registration system of the country such as Jorbi who is an indigenous person with Karen ethnic in Phetburi, or Mae Ai people who are also indigenous to the Mae Ai area in Chiang Mai. This new law will help to decrease both conflicts and corruption in Thai society. Moreover, she asked the Government for the standpoint whether or not they still support the policy on solving problems of the nationality-less persons which they once announced their intention to do so on 17^th December 2006. She also would like to ask for appropriate reasons that why the government has returned the draft to National Legislative Assembly. 

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[1] See also the original version in Thai language from the website : http://www.thaipost.net/index.asp?bk=xcite&post_date=30/Aug/2550&news_id=147398&cat_id=200100