Stateless Lao still struggling for basic rights 40 years later
SPECIAL REPORT: Civil war refugees seek a better future for their descendants, writes Manop Thip-Osod in Ubon Ratchathani
The 21-year civil war in Laos forced a large number of Lao people to seek refuge in Thailand, and many of them still live in the country today.
Despite a long presence in Thailand, scores of them have not yet obtained Thai citizenship and are now more concerned about the future of their succeeding generations in this country.
The war in Laos, which started in 1954, officially ended on Dec 2, 1975 with the transformation of the country from a kingdom (where the king is head of state) to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). Dec 2 is also Laos’ national day.
Many of them crossed the border to live in Thailand during the war while a number of Lao refugees turned into militant groups fighting the Lao government. Some others served as spies for Thai security agencies during the Cold War era in the Indochinese region.
Others moved to resettle in third countries.
In the days leading up to the 40th anniversary of the Lao PDR National Day cerebration on Dec 2, Lao refugees and their offspring formed a small gathering to carry out a traditional ritual for moral support within the community.
The event, held on the side of the Mekong River in tambon Huay Phai of Ubon Ratchathani’s Khong Chiam district on Nov 30, drew many Lao people from Khong Chiam, Pho Sai, Na Tan and Buntharik districts.
Many of them still do not have Thai citizenship or even documented refugee status. They are calling on authorities to grant them Thai citizenship in line with the 2008 Nationality Act.
The group also held a small seminar at a Ban Tamui learning centre in tambon Huay Phai, entitled “Today and the future for the stateless people in Thailand under the Asean community”.
Boonma Aksorn, 60, a representative of the Lao refugees in Buntharik district, said he held out hope Thai society will stop discriminating against people with different nationalities, particularly regarding the right to have access to healthcare services and education.
“Apart from the war, we came here because of economic hardship in Laos,” said Mr Boonma. “Life is hard back there. It is not easy for us to return even after the war ended.”
Some of the Lao refugees, he said, also helped the Thai armed forces during the Cold War.
A 30-year-old monk, who was born in Thailand to Lao parents and resettled in Khong Chiam district in 1975, said he obtained Thai nationality two years ago after he passed the Pali Scholar Level 6 examination.
“It felt like I was once in jail and have now been set free,” Phra Maha Kam Prasert Thavorn said, referring to the day he was given nationality.
The monk said he was unable to enter a normal school when he was a child since he had no citizenship document.
He was looked down upon when he was young due to his lack of Thai citizenship, he said.
He decided to be ordained since he believed education, even while in the monkhood, would be helpful in the future.
When he finished his education, he started gathering information to apply for citizenship.
“We must be educated first, since education will help us lead better lives and give us the knowledge we need,’’ Phra Maha Kam Prasert said.
Sapha Pimbot, 55, a former intelligence agent for Thai authorities during the fight against the Lao communist government, said he fled to Thailand one year before the war ended.
After the surge in anti-government sentiment dwindled, he decided not to go back to his home country for fear of his safety.
He stayed in Thai territory and worked as a spy for the Lao government’s opposition group and the Thai government.
According to Mr Sapha, after the Cold War ended, former Thai prime minister Chatichai Choonhavan decided to dismantle all refugee camps for Lao people in the Northeast and security agencies scaled back their assistance to the group.
“Although I do not have Thai citizenship, I do want to see our children granted Thai nationality,” Mr Sapha said. “No matter what happens, we will die on this second homeland.”
Phuthorn Pantharangsri, 31, said he was born to his Lao parents in Khong Chiam district. Without Thai citizenship status, he lacked the opportunity to get a proper education. He and his four siblings moved to Chumphon to help their mother pick coffee beans. Some teachers there helped them with basic education.
“If I have to travel far away, I have to seek permission from the district chief,” Mr Phuthorn said. “We feel like second-class citizens. We are regularly subjected to wage pressures, but we have to give in.”
Sirisak Kotchasawat, coordinator of the “Khon Hak Nam Kong” local community network in Ubon Ratchathani, said the problem of undocumented people flared when the Lao refugee camps were dismantled in 1982.
The move resulted in 5,000 people holding identification cards of persons without status. This unclear status, he said, has hurt the group’s access to education, travel and work.
Surasom Krisanajutha, an academic from Ubon Ratchathani University, said research found Thai security officers regularly discriminate against the Lao refugee group.
The officers often regard them as migrant workers without paying attention to their status, he said.
Surapong Kongchantuk, human rights lawyer at the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand, said the Thai state should protect the group, even though they have not yet gone through the nationality verification process.
They all must obtain i dentification documents.
If not, the government must lay out laws to force state agencies to document these people to confirm their existence.
Tuenjai Deetes, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, said she will urge the government to lay out a policy to provide equal rights and nationality for Lao refugees.