Karen drop lawsuit against state after citizenship granted

Thirteen ethnic Karen plan to withdraw a lawsuit today against the Sop Moei district chief, Local Administration Department and Interior Ministry after authorities issued their citizenship papers — a month after the lawsuit was filed.

The suit was the first legal step the Karen took against authorities to acquire their basic rights, said Suttikiat Tammadul, a lawyer at the Centre for Protection and Revival of Local Community Life.

The 13 members of six families were among 100 hill tribe people in Sop Moei district of Mae Hong Son province who applied to register their nationality in 2007 during a mobile service visit to the district.

Three years later, a local district official travelled to the remote mountainous village of Mae Suad sub-district to verify family links, in accordance with the 1965 Nationality Act.

DNA was collected from the villagers which clearly showed they were related to people who had been granted Thai citizenship earlier, Mr Suttikiat said.

Villagers went to the district to check the results of the citizenship test, but no one could provide an update.

On Nov 21 last year, the centre, along with the Cross-Cultural Foundation, acted on villagers’ behalf by sending a notice to Sop Moei’s district chief requesting an update, but received no reply.

On March 23, 13 villagers from six families decided to file a lawsuit against the authorities with the Chiang Mai Administrative Court and seek compensation for loss of opportunities of 10,000 baht a year.

“On May 11 and June 2, officials granted citizenship to the six families. Around 40 families who didn’t file the suit have also received citizenship, with the lawsuit acting as the catalyst prompting the state into action,” Mr Suttikiart said.

“Even if withdrawing the lawsuit means they don’t receive the compensation, the villagers are content their rights have been affirmed,” he said. The court set today for the case hearing.