Life of The Stateless : A Case Study of Bahai Village, Huai Yang Sub-district, Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathni Province

Chindara Withe , Siwach Sripokangkul

Abstract

Purposes of this article, which was based on the studying of the situation of the stateless’ life at Bahai Village, Huai Yang Sub-district, Khong
Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, were :1) to examine the cause of the statelessness, 2) to study the life quality of the stateless , and 3) to realize the requirements of the stateless. In order to create this article in accordance to the qualitative research methodology, the empirical data collected by the interviewing of 75 stateless people, documents and literature review, in-depth interview, group discussion, and the observation, were used in the analysis stage together with the further study of related documents. Results of this the study revealed the information in response to the purposes of this article as follows: Causes of the statelessness: 1) they were not included in the civil registration database, therefore, they were also not granted for any citizenship status, 2) parents were not included in the civil registration database, then their child were also not granted for any citizenship status, 3) they were under the nationality granting procedure, 4) the difficulties for the civil registration procedure in Bahai Village due to the frequently relocation of the stateless people, 5) the loss of documents for nationality granting procedure which were secured under the responsibility of the concerned government agencies, and 6)the ineffectiveness performances of the concerned government agencies. Life quality of the stateless: the fund raising for the aid of sick or deceased stateless was one among many efforts of the stateless in order to be survived under the uncertainty condition of life due to the lack of legal rights to possess any properties, as well as the oppressive actions of the capitalists.

Requirements of the stateless: 1) the equality in basic rights such as the healthcare services and the allowance for the stateless people who had the potential to be granted for citizenship, 2) the right for the child born in the territory to be granted for the nationality after the parents’ migration to Thailand, 3) any types of identification cards or documents that allow them to legally reside in Thailand ,4) the effectiveness performance of the government officials regarding the statelessness issues, 5) the jobs opportunities to people excluded by the civil registration database , and 6) the proper understanding of the government sectors and Thais towards the different status of the stateless persons and the illegal immigrants.