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Stateless Minorities Struggle for Recognition, Services in Thailand

   Daniel Schearf | Bangkok 04 January 2011
   In  this  2005  file  photo,  some  480 hill tribe ethnic minority men
   temporarily  entered the Buddhist monkhood for five days at a ceremony
   in  Chiang  Mai,  Thailand,  after  the  Thai  government granted them
   citizenship, and they became monks to celebrate

Photo: AP

   In  this  2005  file  photo,  some  480 hill tribe ethnic minority men
   temporarily  entered the Buddhist monkhood for five days at a ceremony
   in  Chiang  Mai,  Thailand,  after  the  Thai  government granted them
   citizenship, and they became monks to celebrate

   Thailand  is  home  to  hundreds  of thousands of people who were born
   there,   but   are  not  recognized  as  citizens  because  they  lack
   documentation.  Some  are  ethnic  Thais,  though many more are ethnic
   minorities living in remote hill tribes.
   As  many  as  one  third of them lack citizenship. Without citizenship
   they  cannot  own  land  or vote, often are excluded from state-funded
   health care and must get permission to leave their villages.
   Gaining citizenship
   A  group  of  people receive proof of citizenship in a ceremony at the
   Thai parliament. DNA tests proved their parents were Thai citizens, so
   they can now become citizens.