UNHCR / THAILAND STATELESSNESS

Preview Language:   Original
04-Nov-2022 00:03:41
With Thailand having one of the highest numbers of stateless people in the world, community volunteers in the northern province of Chiang Mai are working to help stateless people in ethnic minority villages navigate the complex process of applying for nationality. UNHCR

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STORY: UNHCR / THAILAND STATELESSNESS
TRT: 03:41
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: CREDIT UNHCR ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/THAI/NATS

DATELINE: 26-27 SEPTEMBER, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

SHOTLIST:

27 SEPTEMBER, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, 27 SEPTEMBER 2022

1. Med shot, side of Meepia Chumee picking dried corn
2. Wide shot, front of Meepia picking dried corn
3. Med shot, garden hoe moving soil
4. Wide shot, Meepia using the garden hoe moving soil
5. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Meepia Chumee, Former Stateless Person:
“My name is Meepia Chumee. When I was stateless, I can only say one thing. It was extremely difficult. I couldn’t find a job anywhere. I had to work on a farm. I only got 100 baht ($2.6). It’s not enough but I had to do it”

MOUNTAINS, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, 30 SEPTEMBER 2022

6. Wide shot, panorama shot of Chiang Mai mountains

MEEPIA'S RENTED FARMLAND, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, 27 SEPTEMBER 2022

7. Wide shot, Meepia walking to her corn fields

DISTRICT OFFICE, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022

8. Med shot, waving Thai flag
9. Med shot, Thai district officer receiving citizenship application documents from two stateless persons
10. Close up, Thai district officer’s hands looking at citizenship application documents

MEEPIA’S VILLAGE, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, 26 SEPTEMBER 2022

11. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Meepia Chumee, Former Stateless Person:
“They told me they could not process my application. Then Meefah called me”

LEGAL COMMUNITY NETWORK OFFICE, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, 26 SEPTEMBER 2022
12. Wide shot, Meefah Ahsong working on her laptop
13. Wide shot, Meefah assisting a stateless woman

MEEPIA’S VILLAGE, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, 26 SEPTEMBER 2022

14. Wide shot, Meepia, Meefah, and two others talking in Meepia’s village
15. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Meefah Ahsong, Community Volunteer:
“I’m volunteering because I’ve faced these issues before. I empathize with those who are going through the same things as me. I act as a translator and help communicate. Before taking them to the district office, I first have to see and analyze their documents and I would tell them “You have to prepare this and that.” Then I’ll accompany them to the district office and talk to the Deputy District Chief and officials. The officials then take the application and will process it.”

MEEFAH’S VILLAGE, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, 26 SEPTEMBER 2022

16. Med shot, Meefah assists two stateless people in traditional ethnic clothing
17. Med shot, overhead shot of Meefah assisting two stateless people in traditional ethnic clothing
18. Close up, nationality application documents

MEEPIA’S VILLAGE, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, 26 SEPTEMBER 2022

19. Med shot, Meepia entering her home
20. Close up, Meepia searching for her ID card in her bag
21. Med shot, Meepia showing her ID card
22. Wide shot, Meepia on her moped with a sidecar
23. Close up, Meepia’s moped wheel on the road
24. Close up, Meepia’s moped mirror with her reflection
25. Close up, Meepia on her moped
26. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Meepia Chumee, Former Stateless Person:
“At that moment, I felt so much relief. I was so happy. And now, I feel that I am equal to everyone else.”
27. SOUNDIBTE (Thai) Meefah Ahsong, Community Volunteer:
“I feel happy. I’m happy when someone I help finally gets citizenship. I’m happy that they have a new life. Everything is better. They are now full citizens with all of their rights.”
28. Med shot, Meepia, Meefah and two others chatting in a communal area
29. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Meepia Chumee, Former Stateless Person:
“When I didn’t have the Thai ID card all I thought was I didn’t have the right to travel anywhere. But now that I have it, when my son graduates from university, I can go celebrate with him.”
30. Med shot, Meepia walking into her son’s school
31. Med shot, Meepia hugging her son
32. Med shot, Meepia holding her son’s hand
33. Close up, Meepia holding her son’s hand

STORYLINE:

With Thailand having one of the highest numbers of stateless people in the world, community volunteers in the northern province of Chiang Mai are working to help stateless people in ethnic minority villages navigate the complex process of applying for nationality.

Thailand has one of the largest stateless populations in the world. As of June this year, more than 560,000 people were registered as stateless by the government, with the largest number (24 per cent) residing in Chiang Mai. They are mostly members of indigenous ethnic minorities from the mountainous border areas.

Thailand has endorsed the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR’s #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness by 2024 and has gradually reformed its nationality and civil registration laws to make it easier for people to claim their citizenship and rights. Over 100,000 stateless people have acquired Thai citizenship since 2008. However, in practice, procedures are often difficult to access, bureaucratic and complex.
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UNCHR
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unifeed221104f
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2977267