Presentation by representatives of Thailand’s indigenous people and ethnic groups to the UN Committee

Presentation by representatives of Thailand’s indigenous people and ethnic groups to the UN Committee and their observation during replies by the Thai government regarding policy for the elimination of racial discrimination In Geneva, Switzerland

On 7 August 2012, representatives of Thailand’s indigenous people and ethnic groups have presented their case to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Among the delegates from Thailand’s civil society were Ms. Kaosar Aleemama, Mr. Wiwat Tamee and Ms. Pornpen Khongkachonkiet.

The session to review Thailand’s country report on the elimination of racial discrimination at the Office of High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) can be viewed live through web castingat http://www.treatybodywebcast.org on 9 August from 20.00-23.00 (local time) and on 10 August 2012 from 15.00-18.00 (local time).

For more information, please contact Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, CrCF 02-6934939 and Wiwat Tamee, Highland Peoples Taskforce 082-3814040

*Note: Possible questions to be raised by the CERD to representatives of Thailand’s civil society include the following 17 questions;

1. As far as racial discrimination is concerned, how different or similar between situations in the three Southern Border Provinces and the other regions in Thailand where ethnic groups inhibit?
2. What are the problems stateless people who are given temporary right to stay in Thailand have been encountering?
3. Why aren’t they granted Thai nationality, how many of them, are most of them migrants from other countries?
4. How extensive did the Thaksin government’s War on Drug policy affect indigenous people and ethnic groups in Thailand and how severe it was?
5. How severe does the forest and land policy affect people such as how much is the impact from the global warming regulations of the government? Are the indigenous people and ethnic groups affected by the policy and what are the causes?
6. What are the policy and law adopted by the Thai government when they conduct the arrest, forced relocation and migration? What are the methods used?
7. How does the Thai government racially discriminate against people, and through what methods?
8. Are the indigenous people and ethnic groups accepted by the Thai government, and if so, how much?
9. How is the Thai government’s strategy on forest and land issues and how does it affect indigenous people and ethnic groups?
10. How different between undocumented persons and stateless persons, how are they grouped and divided as per their status and rights?
11. Are there laws in Thailand that clearly prohibit racial discrimination? If not, what are the channels people use forgetting the chance to exercise their right and judicial rights?
12. How rampant is human trafficking among ethnic women? How extensive are the remedies given to them?
13. What is the selection process to recruit members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)?
14. How extensive are the roles of NHRC in preventing racial discrimination?
15. Please prioritize discrimination problems? What are the most important things?
16. Has geographical setting and historical conflicts contributed to the existing racial discrimination? Do the conflict system from, their being Malay Muslim.
17. How is the collaboration among NGOs, civil society and governmental agencies?