After being safely rescued from Tham Luang cave, three members of the Wild Boars football team and their coach find themselves trapped again by a harsh reality -- lack of nationality and the same old plight that comes with illegal status.
The three boys, Pornchai Kamluang, Adul Sam-on and Mongkhol Boonpiam are stateless people whose citizenship applications are being considered, albeit slowly, by the Thai authorities. But with the cave rescue being international news, the authorities have pledged to accelerate and complete the process in six months if "there are no legal complications". The coach, Ekapol Chantawong who has no documents at all, remains most vulnerable and risks being deported.
On Thursday, Social Development and Human Security Minister, Anantaporn Kanjanarat, was quick to tell the media the young footballers "have no privileges", and the authorities would follow the regulations in considering their citizenship applications.
The footballers' plights sheds some light on the problem of statelessness here.
According to the UNHCR, Thailand is home to around 480,000 stateless people. A great many are hill-tribe people scattered in northern provinces including Chiang Rai. Some have the required evidence to prove their nationality but still have to wait as the authorities, wrapped in red tape, plod through the verification process.
Thailand deserves some credit for its "education for all" policy allowing stateless children to gain access to education. Yet these same people are still subject to travel bans, barred from certain jobs even -- if they are graduates -- and have limited access to healthcare. On top of this, racial prejudice complicates matters.
Nopparat Khanthavong, the Wild Boars football club founder, told AFP this week that the three young footballers have had problems in the past travelling to play matches outside Chiang Rai because of travel restrictions. But it should be noted that since these youngsters have identification documents, pending verification, they are still in a better position than the coach who is technically undocumented.
Meanwhile, there is another case -- that of talented-yet-stateless Mathayom 3 student, Aryo Megag, of Chiang Rai who struggled hard to earn the right to represent Thailand at the Hong Kong International Robotics Olympiad 2018 which takes place next week. Before them, the nation learned to love Mong Thongdee, the paper plane boy from Chiang Mai, who in 2009 went through similar "you're not Thai" claptrap before being allowed to compete for Thailand at the All-Japan Origami Airplane Contest. He received a hero's welcome when he won, yet Thai citizenship still eludes him.
It's unfortunate that such stiff regulations and racial prejudice stemming from ultra-nationalism stand in the way of these talented youngsters.
While it's a good sign that the state is showing serious attention to the footballers' illegal status, with a pledge to fast-track the verification process, they should look at the big picture and have a regard for other stateless people, especially those with all the required documents, who have been waiting to rightfully become Thai citizens.
The authorities must cut through the bureaucratic mess that has hindered verificationas pointed out by human rights advocate Surapong Kongchantuk. The activist said the state keeps blaming staff shortages, especially in remote areas, for the delays.
Such bureaucratic sluggishness is depriving many people of their right to a decent job or from following an ambition that could help this country. Mong Thongdee and Aryo Megag are prime examples.
Policy makers and the authorities must be aware that the country, which is on the brink of becoming an ageing society due to low birth rates, lacks people of working age. Dragging their feet over stateless people dies not help matters. Under such circumstances, they must review such rigid policies, do the right thing by the "non-Thai" population and make them citizens and part of the workforce.