The refugee issue behind the story of the "12 teenagers of Thailand"

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – Among the hills on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, 12 teenagers and their coaches were trapped inside the cave. Thousands of stateless people live within these limits.

The international media pointed to the rescue process of children who joined the Wild Boars football team until they left the cave last Tuesday. Next Thursday, they must leave the hospital after treatment.

But this spot also reveals another aspect of the lives of refugees in Thailand. Four of the children have no nationality. Two of them are in the final stages of obtaining citizenship.

"I am very happy with the history of the Wild Boars Cave," said Tuanjai Deetes, Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand. "We need to highlight this problem nationally and internationally, there are still many stateless people out there."

According to official figures, 486,440 people are registered without citizens, including 142,269 – like three boars, under 18 years old. The number is estimated to be more than the official number.

In the remote hills, several generations of people have lived. They usually come from southern China and Myanmar, as well as from Laos, which borders northern Thailand.

The border in Chiang Rai Province has long been an entry point for illegal immigrants, human smuggling and drugs, usually from the "Golden Triangle" region. , namely Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

Both in Thailand are a magnet for residents around the border to enter the state of the white elephant.

In Thailand, they receive education and basic health care, but they also have travel restrictions, do not have access to financial services, and can not marry or buy property.

Burmese immigrants enter by the river Moei, Mae Sot, Thailand. (AFP / Ye Aung THU)

"Despite some progress, stateless people in Thailand continue to face the challenge of obtaining fundamental rights," said Hannak Mcdonald of the UN agency United for refugees.

Somsak Kanakham, head of the Mae Sai Area Office, the location of the cave where the 12 teenagers were trapped, said that he would follow Thai law.

"I understand why human rights groups want us to solve this problem," he said. "But this is related to national security issues."

Exploitation of Thai Officials

Just that in Mae Sai, there are more than 27,000 people who have Thai nationality pending.

"The last government conducted a survey in this village in 2011. There are now more than 210 new people," said Tuanjai in Prachao Tum Jai village, 8 km from the cave.

Most villagers, who live on rice and pineapple cultivation, do not have Thai nationality. More than 200 people are not even registered.

"The main challenge is the migration model There is a lot of movement, but little information about the registration process," Tuanjai said.

Stateless citizens who can prove that they live in Thailand for at least 10 years can register their citizenship, which takes about six months.

Yet, Tuanjai calls "exploitation by officials" involving bribes, still going on.

Wild Boars coaches himself, Chantawong Eckapol, 25, is part of the minority Tai Lue group. He hopes to become a Thai citizen, said one of his colleagues in Reuters on Thursday.

35-year-old Tarn Aree and her 11-year-old son are Tai Lue from Chiang Rai fighting for citizenship. Tarn is an immigrant worker, which means that he is officially allowed to stay in Thailand only for a while.

"Many of us have registered citizenship for years, but do not have them," said Tarn. "We can not buy land, so we need other people with Thai nationality to buy it, I just want my child to have his own home." (stu)