Page 26 - Dignity and justice for all of us our voices are heard in Thailand

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
A man, age 43
belonging to the Lisu ethnic minority group
Chiang Rai province
“We are Thai people
as well”
14 Dignity and Justice for All of Us
Voice
A 43-year-old man from the Lisu ethnic minority group living in Chiang Rai province shares his
experience, describing some positive developments he has witnessed towards achieving greater
equal rights and opportunity. Nonetheless, he also expresses concerns he believes must be addressed.
Positive achievements he describes include the fact that civil society organizations are now able to
negotiate and enter into dialogue with the Royal Thai Government, and that the government has
become state party of several international conventions that have been put to good use. The fact that
ethnic minority groups have realized the need to claim their own rights, he believes, has been critical.
As an example, he mentioned the 1999 incident in which tens of thousands of ethnic minorities stood
up for their own rights in a demonstration in front of the city hall in Chiang Mai. As a result, he claims
that the confidence of the groups improved, particularly in mobilizing partnerships with academia and
the private sector, and also in entering into dialogue with local authorities to address issues related to
ethnic minorities and their equal rights.
He asserts that many challenges still remain, particularly those related to the issue of nationality, land
rights, shelter and access to national identification cards, as well as the right to administer natural
resources. He also stated that ethnic minority groups are vulnerable to threats and restrictions to
movement and relocation, and that they cannot access government services. “We are Thai people as
well,” he emphasizes, and claims that ethnic minority groups should enjoy the same rights as other Thai
citizens. He further highlighted that Thai society suffers from ethnic prejudice and discrimination and
that public perception of the ethnic minority groups is that they are treated as “second-class” citizens.
On the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he
recommends that the United Nations work with the government so that policies giving serious
support to protecting and promoting the rights of ethnic minority groups can be adopted. He
also recommends that these groups be given free and direct access to the United Nations. This, he
claims, will enable Thailand to fully comply with the Universal Declaration as well as create a more
enabling environment.