Naturalisation a win-win
The world rejoiced when the Wild Boars were rescued from Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai. Now there is more good news: Three of the boys — Adul Sam-on, Mongkol Boonpiam and Pornchai Kamluang — and their coach Ekkapol Chantawong have officially become Thai citizens. On Wednesday they were among 30 stateless people who took the oath of citizenship at a ceremony in Chiang Rai.
Somsak Khanakham, chief of the Mae Sai district office, said he approved the boys’ applications since they “have all the qualifications” to be Thais under either Section 7 or Section 23 of the Nationality Act. Coach Ekkapol is of Shan descent, but there is a proof that he was born on Thai soil and that one of his late parents was Thai. In particular, the district chief stressed the young coach was granted Thai citizenship in what was described as an “award of merit”, yet he did not elaborate.
The naturalisation of the three boys and the coach has won praise from the UN rights agency. Carol Batchelor, the UNHCR special adviser on statelessness, said in a statement which was quoted by several media outlets yesterday: “By providing these boys and their coach with citizenship, Thailand has given them the chance to both dream of a brighter future and to reach their full potential.”
She added a formal identity will pave the way for them to achieve their aspirations.
Without a doubt, the 17-day cave drama helped highlight the ordeal of the four boys regarding their being stateless persons, which came with several restrictions. Previously, Nopparat Khanthavong, the founder of the Wild Boars football academy, told the media when the cave drama was at its peak in July that the three young footballers have had problems in the past travelling to play matches outside Chiang Rai. Now that they are holders of the 13-digit ID cards, this is no longer an issue. More importantly, they and their coach will have full access to state welfare for education and health.
Moreover, the enormous public attention the cave drama drew has accelerated the authentication process as the authorities may also want to cash in on public sentiment. Yet, there emerges a solid question: Would the authentication process have been hindered by bureaucratic red-tape, not to mention racial prejudice, prior to the cave drama?
Would they continue to suffer, had they not been trapped in the cave and the issue have gained global attention? Citizenship should be based on their eligibility, not their fame.
Of course, now everyone is happy they have officially been recognised as Thai citizens. But what about the several hundred thousand people who are still waiting to receive similar treatment? State data shows that over 486,000 people are currently registered as stateless, including 146,200 who are under 18.
Lacking a dramatic narrative and support from a sympathetic global audience, these stateless people have no choice but to wait for the sluggish bureaucratic process to unfold.
This unfairly deprives them of their rights and the opportunity to maximise their potential, which would surely benefit the nation.
Now attention is turning to two other high-profile stateless youths as people question whether they will receive similar “rewards of merit”. One of these is Aryo Megag, a talented Mathayom 3 student from the same province whose struggle to earn the right to represent Thailand at the Hong Kong International Robotics Olympiad 2018 drew media attention.
The other case involved Mong Thongdee, a boy from Chiang Mai who needed special state permission to join the All-Japan Origami Airplane Contest in 2009. He still appears to have no chance of becoming Thai.
The UNHCR is right in pointing out that many stateless people in Thailand come from areas where national borders have changed, putting their nationality in question. Some belong to “hill tribes” in remote areas with limited access to information about nationality procedures, including how to apply for citizenship.
The state should make more effort to speed up the authentication process. Otherwise, the nation will suffer.