Thailand can’t turn a blind eye to a child’s rights

A hasty decision by the Thai authorities to remove 126 stateless children from a school in Ang Thong province and deport half of them to Myanmar has caused a moral stir.

The operation followed a police raid at Pa Mok-based Thairath Wittaya 6 School last month, which rounded up the students, aged 6-16, for repatriation through Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district. Police also slapped the school director with a human trafficking charge.

The repatriation began on July 6 and continues as individual parents, who are workers in the border provinces, pick up their children. Those waiting for their parents are under the roof of childcare centres in Chiang Rai.

In making such a blatant move, police have turned a blind eye to Thailand’s commitment to guaranteeing the right of every child to an education regardless of legal status. As a party to UN Child Rights protection, the country has earned international praise for its “Education for All” policy launched in July 2005 with the Education Ministry and Social Development and Human Security as core agencies. Through the policy, many migrant and stateless children have entered the Thai education system without discrimination over nearly two decades.

The Myanmar military bombs rebel-held areas opposite Mae Hong Son province yesterday. (Photo: Assawin Pinijwong)

Unfortunately, these two core agencies tasked with the Education For All mission failed to speak up enough when the police relentlessly pressed immigration laws and regarded the children in Mae Sai as “illegal migrants”, denying them the right to schooling. This places Thailand in a bad light.

The deportation of the students despite the conflict in Myanmar following the 2021 coup by the Tatmadaw reveals that Thai state agencies attach little importance to universally accepted humanitarian principles.

Oppressive operations by the Tatmadaw have prompted many people to flee Myanmar, particularly after air attacks targeted villages, brutally killing civilians. Those seeking shelter on Thai soil comprise activists, academics, lay people fearing for their safety and labourers looking for job opportunities.

Thai authorities must consider that Myanmar people, particularly the ethnic groups living along the border area, are closely related to Thais.

While the Thai state is trying to impress the world with any humanitarian assistance it renders to those fleeing the conflict, what is happening behind the scenes is the opposite, with the authorities quickly pushing them back, despite threats to their lives.

Worse, the Thai government is trying to boost ties with the coup leaders, to the dismay of its Asean partners. An invitation to Myanmar’s foreign minister by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai for a recent “informal meeting” offended pro-democracy groups late last month. Before that, pictures of the Thai military shaking hands with their bloodthirsty counterparts were also shameful.

Thailand should seriously review its policy toward Myanmar under the Tatmadaw and respond to each situation carefully while considering the burdens Thailand has to shoulder as the Tatmadaw continues its oppressive rule. By pampering the Myanmar coup makers, Thailand will only face condemnation from all sides.

Due to the ongoing Tatmadaw offensives in local villages, thousands of children along the border have missed school. Isn’t it time the Thai government gives them help by giving them the chance to study? This is not just for humanitarian reasons. Thailand’s aged society — with minus birth rates — will bring policy changes, and we would benefit from accommodating and welcoming the young from neighbouring countries and assimilating them into our society. If such a policy merits implementation, we need to start early.