Stateless elderly in Chiang Rai die waiting for Thai citizenship

Numerous stateless elderly individuals in Chiang Rai have tragically passed away before receiving Thai citizenship due to prolonged bureaucratic processes. A Chiang Mai teacher, Daeng, called upon Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to visit the area and witness the situation firsthand.

Teacher Daeng, whose full name is Tuenjai Deetes, along with Pienporn Deetes, Secretary-General of the Foundation for Community Development and Mountainous Areas (FACD), and other rights officials, organised a forum at Piyaporn Village Hall in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai yesterday, July 17.

The event, supported by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (THPF), aimed to discuss innovations to promote the health of stateless elderly individuals. Over 100 stateless Tai Lue elderly people from various districts, including Mae Sai, Mae Chan, Chiang Saen, Mueang, and Mae Suai, participated.

Tuenjai indicated that the forum provided an opportunity to hear from elderly individuals who have applied for Thai citizenship. Some have been waiting for their applications to be processed for three months to four years without success.

The objective was to address the ongoing challenges since the initiative began in 2012. This project aims to assist ethnic minorities and groups who have lived in Thailand for over 40 years, have Thai children and grandchildren, and have established their lives in Thailand but have yet to receive Thai nationality.

The FACD has been working to create pathways for these individuals to obtain citizenship, recognising their vulnerability due to prolonged residency in Thailand. Currently, there are over 110,000 stateless elderly people in the country, with approximately 16,000 having applied for citizenship.

Application approval

In Chiang Rai alone, around 1,000 individuals are still awaiting various stages of the process. Many applications have already passed the provincial level and are pending approval from the Minister of Interior.

The invitation was extended to Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to visit the area and meet these stateless individuals to understand their plight. The lengthy nationality conversion process has led to many elderly people passing away while waiting for their applications to be approved.

Despite amendments to laws addressing nationality for ethnic minorities under Section 10 of the Nationality Act of 1965, there remain legal and procedural hurdles that need to be addressed.

Tuenjai also emphasised that the Thai government should develop a national action plan regarding the status of individuals, given that Thailand is one of the world’s major refugee-receiving countries. Clarity is needed for those who have been residing in the country for a long time but are still awaiting citizenship status.

The ongoing violence in Myanmar and other migration issues further complicate this situation. Additionally, there is a call for a review of nationality conversion laws, such as those for Chinese nationals during the reign of King Rama V, to streamline the process involving multiple agencies and to establish a specific legal code for nationality matters.

Aen Liuchai, President of the Tai Lue Association, highlighted that many Tai Lue elderly individuals have been waiting for their citizenship applications to be processed for years. The oldest participant at the forum was 86 years old.

ID cards

The meeting was just a small representation of those interested, with a significant number of people from the Mae Sai district alone, where over 600 individuals have applied for citizenship, and about 100 have received their ID cards.

Thoon Wongsa, Advisor to the Tai Lue Association in Chiang Rai, mentioned that in the Mae Suai district, over 100 people’s applications have passed the provincial level and been sent to the Ministry of Interior since 2017. Of the 33 elderly people who applied in 2017, 10 have since passed away. Many elderly individuals are keenly following the status of their applications, hoping to receive Thai citizenship, reported KhaoSod.

“We live here and want to be Thai citizens. We wish to die as Thai citizens. We are proud of being Thai. We’ve waited for 50 to 60 years. We have hope in this wait. We have homes, food, jobs, and families because of Thailand.”