A group of indigenous people urged the Thai junta to correct Thailand’s database of stateless people which omits about 38,000 names, an error that will affect their rights to health care.
The Network of Indigenous People in Thailand (NIPT) on Tuesday submitted a letter to Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, head of the Thai junta and Prime Minister, asking the government to review its database of stateless people who live in Thailand.
Recently, Public Health Minister Rachata Rachatanavin submitted information that Thailand has 170,535 people entitled to the Fund for Basic Health Care for People Who Have Problems with Status and Rights, which targets stateless people living in Thailand, mostly from indigenous minorities.
The NIPT said the information submitted by Rachata was outdated and left out more than 38,000 people.
Because the database does not represent the real number of stateless people in Thailand, the rights to basic health care of those who were omitted will be affected, as will hospitals which would have to carry the burden of the cost of treatment without government support.
As of 5 January, there are 208,631 stateless people in Thailand, said Wiwat Tami, a leading member of the NIPT.
Indigenous people wearing their traditional costume submitts letter to Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha at the Government House
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