Thai cave rescue highlights plight of stateless people
My latest dispatch for Channel NewsAsia and (hopefully) the last one from Chiang Rai for now: 4 members of the Wild Boars football club hat have been rescued out of the Tham Luang Cave in Nothern Thailand are stateless and thus have very little basic rights compared to their teammates. There's some hope that their rescue would bring this issue to a bigger attention.
TRANSCRIPT
On the most northern point of Thailand is the small town of Mae Sai, bordering neighboring Myanmar.
It is from there that many people seek a better life on this side of the border, both legally or illegally.
Over generations, different ethnic tribes from Southern China, Myanmar and Laos have criss-crossed through the open borders on the hills into Northern Thailand.
According to official statistics, nearly 500,000 are registered as stateless – but the actual number is estimated to be much higher. many of them are living in the northern border regions.
Four members of the "Wild Boars" football club are among them, including their coach Ekapol Chanthawong. The 25-year old is from the ethnic Shan tribe. He came to Thailand as a young boy after his parents’ death and grew up in a Buddhist temple.
Many stateless children can get a basic education at any school in Thailand. It is here when they are first documented.
TANAWAN CHANDANG; Teacher:
"We coordinate with the local Municipality office. We do this every year. We all have the kids' documents and we pass them to the responsible offices which in turn contact those kids so they can get their IDs. We've done this for many kids."
But growing up stateless in Thailand has many hurdles.
SAKSITH SAIYSOMBUT, Chiang Rai province:
"Stateless people face many more restrictions: they can’t leave the province without a permit, they can’t open a bank account, they can’t get married or own land. There’s a process for them to obtain citizenship, but it is a long and bureaucratic one."
Khamaun Namwong’s mother came to Thailand after fleeing from armed conflict in neighboring Myanmar. But because her birth was undocumented, her application process has hit a roadblock.
While the 24 year old has lived a relatively normal life within the legal limits so far, a Thai citizenship would be the final step to complete her life.
KHAMAUN NAMWONG; Stateless person:
"What I need is a Thai citizenship. It would expand my opportunities Because now without it, the circle of limitations is only about that big. But with a citizenship, it would broaden it wide open."
The hope for the stateless members of the Wild Boars is that their survival story may speed up their citizenship process.
It would be another major victory for the boys.
Saksith Saiyasombut, Channel NewsAsia, Chiang Rai Province
Thai cave survivors attend merit making ceremony as they return to normal life
With the #ThamLuangCave survivors discharged from hospital, they have spend their first day in a Buddhist temple - and will spend a little bit more time in there very soon. I'll explain.
Thai cave rescue: Wild Boars' first public appearance
The 12 Thai boys and their football coach made their first public appearance after being rescued from Tham Luang cave complex in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand.
#ThamLuang: Authorities want to turn cave into tourist attraction
Our last Channel NewsAsia dispatch from the #ThamLuangCave saga: The spectacular rescue of 12 boys and their football coach out of a cave in Chiang Rai province has just concluded and as the survivors are recovering, there are already plans for the Tham Luang Cave to make it a big tourist destination. But what about the other caves in the region? We went spelunking to find out.
MASSIVE, MASSIVE THANKS to my team for the last crazy ten days covering this story: Producer Kittiphum Srinamuang and camermamen Siddhar Tungaparhara and Theerapong Puengsook.
#ThamLuang: School ready to welcome rescued children back to a normal life
On the morning after the 12 boys and their football coach were finally rescued out of the #ThamLuangCave, we went to Mae Sai Prasitsart School where some of kids go there to see how they will be welcomed back.
TRANSCRIPT
It’s another morning at the Mae Sai Prasitsart School in Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand.
The children arrive for their daily morning ritual: the national anthem and prayers to start off the day - but a special announcement breaks the routine.
There is good news to be shared:
"The wild boars are out of the cave!"
Six of the 12 boys rescued from the nearby Tham Luang cave, after being stuck in there for more than two weeks, are attending this school.
And while everybody awaits their return, the school is also making plans to ensure they don’t fall behind their classroom peers.
KANET PHONGSUWAN; Principal Mae Sai Prasitsart School:
"We have a study for those children, they will have additional classes. When they return to school, the first thing we will do is to ease them back into school and everybody is willing to support and encourage them, whether it’s their fellow students, the teaching staff and the administration in order for the children to become their old self."
Their fellow students are also looking forward to see them back again.
WORANUT WAEWSORN; Student at Mae Sai Prasitsart School:
"I hope that they can return to a normal life when they get back here and hope that they can take their survival lessons into their lives."
SAKSITH SAIYASOMBUT; Mae Sai, Chiang Rai Province:
"It will still take a while until the boys and their coach can go home after their ordeal - they need to stay at least for a week in the hospital until they’re discharged. But after 17 days in the Tham Luang Cave, they have the chance to live a normal live again."
Saksith Saiyasombut, Channel NewsAsia, Mae Sai, Chiang Rai Province
#BREAKING: All 13 'Wild Boars' rescued out of Thai cave
After more than 2 weeks of rescue operations, all 12 boys and their football coach have been saved from Thailand's Tham Luang cave complex. Channel NewsAsia's Saksith Saiyasombut with the report.
#ThamLuang: 4 more boys evacuated out of cave
My wrap-up of the second day of the rescue operation. 8 out, 5 more to go.
#ThamLuang: Day 2 of rescue extraction expected to begin
After four boys have been brought out of the #ThamLuang cave on Sunday evening has it expected to resume today. I'll explain the challenges of the rescue operations.
#ThamLuang: Airpipe laid to boys stuck in cave to provide fresh oxygen
The commander of the rescue operation of the 12 boys and their football coach stuck in a Chiang Rai cave revealed that oxygen levels were a concern until they limited the number of people tending to them and after laying a pipe pumping in fresh air.
#ThamLuang: Thai ex-Navy SEAL diver dies during ongoing rescue operation
My latest report at Channel NewsAsia: A ex-Navy SEAL diver passed away last night during the ongoing rescue operation. Still, authorities are working tirelessesly against time and the elements, as a monsoon delugue has been forecast for the weekend. Here's my latest dispatch on #PrimeTimeAsia with Glenda Chong and Steve Lai CNA.
#ThamLuang: Race against time and elements for rescuers to get out football team out
It's all about the water in the cave that needs to be pumped in time before the water from above in form of a monsoon is going to make the extraction of the youth football team out of the #ThamLuang cave much, much more difficult.
Infographic: Rescue options for the 12 boys and their coach
Here are the obstacles facing rescuers trying to extract the 12 boys and their football coach from Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai. Channel NewsAsia's Glenda Chong looks at their options.
#ThamLuang: A walk around the tent city next to the rescue operations
Let's take a walk around the muddy fields where the media and the volunteers are waiting for the 12 boys and their football coach to be taken out of the cave.
#ThamLuang: Navy SEALs video shows boys in good spirit as options are being weighed
We're on the ground in front of the #ThamLuang cave as the options on how to get the 13 boys of out there are still being weighed. Meanwhile, the boys themselves are seemingly in good spirits and are being looked after.
#ThamLuang: 13 missing found alive in cave given food, medicine
The Chiang Rai govenor did not confirm whether the 13 boys found alive in a cave last night will be extracted today, but they are given food and medicine as rescue workers are assessing the next steps. Here's my update on #AsiaBusinessFirst on Channel NewsAsia.
#ThamLuang: Multinational operation crucial in discovery of 13 missing in Chiang Rai cave
Thais are waking finally up to some good news that the 13 missing in the #ThamLuang cave in Chiang Rai provice have been found alive and well. This has been the result of a huge multi-national rescue operation involing about 1,000 workers, inclduing specialists from Myanmar, Laos, China, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Here's my update on #FirstLookAsia on Channel NewsAsia.
#ThamLuang: Relatives relived after 13 missing in Chiang Rai cave found alive
"Today is the best day," says one of the mothers who has been waiting almost 10 days for her son and 12 others to be found alive in the #ThamLuang cave in Chiang Rai province. Here's another update by me Channel NewsAsia.
#ThamLuang: Video shows dramatic rescue of 13 missing found in Chiang Rai cave
The Thai Navy SEALs have published a video showing the rescue of 13 missing in the #ThamLuang cave in Chaing Rai province. But there's still a lot to be done to get the boys out the cave, as I explain on Channel NewsAsia.
AS IT HAPPENED: All 13 missing in #ThamLuang cave found alive and well
#BREAKING: After 10 days missing the #ThamLuang cave in Chiang Rai province, 12 children and their football coach have been found alive, according to the Chiang Rai governor.