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Mae Sai – The 12 boys and coach of the youth football team Wild Boars who were rescued from a cave in northern Thailand last week share a feature with a lot of European clubs professionals idolized by their teenagers: They are multiethnic
But while the stars of the great European leagues, whatever their origin, can claim fame and fortune, some of the wild boars can not even count on a permanent home .
Three of the players – Mongkol "Mark" Boonpium, age 13, Adul Samon, age 14, and Pornchai "Tee" Khamluang, assistant coach Ekapol "Ake" Chanthawong, age 16 and age 25, are stateless, alive in a limb restrictions not only on their upward mobility, but even on their right to travel outside Chiang Rai, the northern province where they live.
It is not unnatural that four of the thirteen trapped in the cave are not Thai citizens, the wild Boars head coach, Nopparat Kanthawong, said in an interview S unday. Of the 70-80 boys in the four age brackets of the team, twenty are stateless.
The test of the cave should help shed light on the issue of statelessness in Thailand. Nopparat hopes he will advance the sporting ambitions of his players
"I would ask the media to highlight the situation they are facing," he said. "All the young people joining the team, they all want to be professional football players, but they could not do it if they do not have nationalities."
He explained that the most glaring problem is that if his stateless players want to travel outside the province, they must obtain a pass with official permission, whether for personal matters or a soccer competition. Getting a passport to meet the invitations of various European clubs to watch them play is even more important.
According to government statistics, 488,105 stateless persons are registered in Thailand. According to the International Observatory on Statelessness, the actual number of stateless persons could reach 3.5 million. The group claims that stateless people in Thailand are unable to vote, buy land, seek legal employment, work in certain professions or travel freely.
Northern Thailand, whose porous borders have long been a boon for migrants, refugees and traffickers. a melting pot of ethnic groups, including Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Yao, Shan, Hmong and Karen. In neighboring Myanmar, border areas are dominated by minority ethnic groups, but underdevelopment and conflict make opportunities scarce. Some people flee for their lives in Thailand; others are simply looking for a better life.
This is not necessarily an uncomfortable transition. There are established communities of minority groups on both sides of the border, and Thailand generally adopts a laissez-faire attitude.
Adul's parents sent him from Myanmar to get a decent education in Thailand, which is impossible in its original state. , which is plagued by armed conflict and instability. He is a star student, and a bit of a celebrity to be the only anglophone among the 13 trapped in the cave. "We found that in many cases, those who emigrated here and those who fled the dangerous situations to come here are not able to return to their original country," he added. Angkhana Neelapaijit of Thailand's National Human Rights Commission said Monday. "They have clear intentions to establish their residence here, even if they were born in neighboring countries but have children and a residence here, at least the rights of the children of those families should to be protected. "
Citizenship must enter a verification process to prove that they have Thai parents or were born in Thailand. The process can be difficult and complicated, she added, as public servants also need to be vigilant about the many fraudulent and corrupt methods used to obtain citizenship.
Activists say the naturalization process is too difficult. who have never been documented in their home country and who are outsiders with regard to local Thai authorities. Navigating the paperwork is at best difficult and corruption is a danger.
In late 2016, the Thai military government agreed to a plan that would see about 80,000 stateless people eligible for citizenship.
born in Thailand of parents belonging to ethnic minority groups, registered by the Ministry of the Interior and residing in Thailand for at least 15 years, or born in Thailand of foreign residents and university graduates.
Coach Nopparat said that he was particularly eager to help the stateless boys who were rescued from the cave.
"These three play well, they are determined when they train," he said. "Now I have heard of the good news that they will be considered to have Thai nationality, they are stateless, but when they leave (the hospital) and recover, I could pass them on by documents and the official government process "
Associated Press
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