Poor and excluded, boys already knew the adversity

MAE SAI, Thailand.- For Adul Sam-on, 14 years old, the danger was not unknown. At the age of 6, Adul had already escaped from Myanmar territory, invaded by guerrilla warfare, opium cultivation and methamphetamine trafficking. His parents managed to make him escape to Thailand, with the hope that a good education would give him a better life than his family, illiterate and poor.

But the most important escape from his life occurred yesterday, when,
with 11 other members of a youth team and their technician finally
He was released from Tham Luang Cave in northern Thailand.

Adul, a pariah descendant of a wa tribal branch known to have been a headhunter, played a crucial role in


the rescue
since he acted as interpreter of British divers. Adul, who speaks fluent English, Thai, Burmese, Mandarin and Wa, has communicated to British divers the most urgent needs of his team: food and details on the length of their lives in darkness

In half of the English, one of his teammates said: "Eats, eats, eats," Adul said that he had already discussed the problem with the diver. In the images published by the Thai navies, in the cadaverous face of Adul, you could see a big smile.

The extraordinary rescue of the young football team was one of the few causes of joy in a nation that is undergoing four years of military rule and an increasing fracture between rural and urban areas.

Mae Sai, headquarters of the Boar team, does not seem the most appropriate place for the resurgence of Thai pride. Located not far from the border shared by Thailand, Myanmar and Laos in the Golden Triangle, the city of Mae Sai is home to an often skeptical population vis-à-vis the Thai state and its institutions.

The Golden Triangle is a smuggling center. sanctuary for members of several ethnic militias who for decades claim their autonomy from the Burmese government, which represses them regularly.

Three of the young trapped footballers, in addition to their coach, Ekkapol Chantawong, belong to stateless ethnic minorities, the pariahs who are used to sneaking one day across the border to Myanmar and the next day to return to Thailand to play football.

Their presence undermines a sense of Thai nationality backed by a triumvirate of institutions: the military, monarchy and Buddhist monasteries.

After years of deteriorating prestige due to the coup in 2014, the military Thai fishermen have had the opportunity to clean up their image.

Tactical divers of the Thai navies have become the visible face of the rescue operation. And a Marine retired diver, Saman Gunan, 38, died during the rescue. On Monday evening, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, head of the ruling military junta, made his second visit to the cave.

"The army will score points with this," says Rangsiman Rome, a student leader who calls for the restoration of democracy in Thailand, despite the fact that the military delayed elections and extended their government several times . "They take all the credit for this mission."

The monarchy also received encouragement. King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, who came to the throne in 2016, showed empathy with people more than ever during his brief reign.

According to the royal office, the 13-year-old son of 13-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti wrote a letter in German in which he expressed his desire to see the mission completed. Among other donations, the king provided 2,000 raincoats for the mission

. Through the command of English, Adul was the key to ensuring the integrity of the boar. He is the best student of his clbad at Ban Wiang Phan School in Mae Sai. His academic performance and athletic prowess deserved a free education and meal every day.

After entering Thailand eight years ago, Adul's parents left him in a local Mae Sai Baptist church and asked the pastor. his wife to take care of him. In Myanmar, it was impossible to find a quality education in the Wa Autonomous Region, where young people run the risk of being forced to join the guerrillas.

At Ban Wiang Phan School, where 20% of students are outcasts and half belong to ethnic minorities, the director, Punnawit Thepsurin, says the uncertain status of boys – they have not no citizenship papers from any country – helped them polish their forces. "Stateless children have a fighting spirit that makes them want to stand out, and Adul is the best of the best," says Thepsurin.

Translation by Jaime Arrambide