Thousands of people have been living in highland and remote areas where the original census surveys have never been available to them. Many policies relating to their rights have never been translated into their original languages (Calderbank 2008). The problems
parents did not obtain birth certificates for their children due to the complexity of the process. For example, the parents need to travel from remote areas to district offices for registration. Also there are reports of some local officials charging fees for the certificate from local parents, although it was supposed to be free.
Many local people have given birth to their children in remote areas. They did not have time to travel to the hospital in the city. People prefer to have a midwife to help them deliver. When a child is born, people are too busy to travel to the government office which is located far away from their house, so they do not bother to register their new born baby. These people are ethnic minority too. They do not want to get themselves in trouble by seeing officials. They do not understand and cannot write Thai much. Going there is time consuming. They would rather work for a living than waste their time getting their child registered (Government official, Mae Sot, Tak province, in-depth interview, 20 September 2014).
Along the Thailand–Myanmar border, particularly in Mae Sot district, migrant parents can go to Thai hospitals or health care centres provided by NGOs for delivery. Some migrant parents are provided a delivery letter or certificate after birth. Some parents can ask for birth registration for their child. However, most illegal migrant workers, especially those who are out of the camp seeking a job, are not keen to request a birth registration certificate for their children, because they are afraid that they will be asked to provide proof of identity. Although illegal migrant parents and refugees are entitled to request a delivery certificate and birth registration, it is very risky for them to return to the hospital three days after the request to collect it, because they are afraid of deportation, if the government officials know of their existence.
Birth registration had never operated in refugee camps along the Thailand–Myanmar border previously. This is because the Thai government was unaware that these people were staying a long time in the camps. The Thai government believed that most displaced people were attached to their homeland in Myanmar, so they might return home after a short stay. (Wangsiriphaisan et al. 2010). However, after the first refugee settlements in Tak province were established in 1984, the Thai government realised that many people stayed for a long time. Consequently, many infant children and youth aged 0 up to 20 years old have been born in temporary shelter areas. In fact, these children have never left the temporary shelter areas or refugee camps on the Thai side of the border. Since 2001 the situation regarding birth registration has changed. Government authorities have tried to provide birth certificates for new born babies in refugee camps. As of the end of
November 2001, 1,700 birth certificates had been issued to new born babies in the camps. However, birth certificates are issued only to children of registered refugees and only registered parents can register the birth of their child at the Thai municipality office (Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Child Rights (Burma) 2009).
Moreover, the government officials are often unable to reach them to provide birth certificates. Some people from the camp try very hard to make their way to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for delivery.
My mom came from Karen state in Myanmar. She moved to live in a refugee camp in Mae La refugee camp in Tha Song Yang District, but I was not born in the camp. My mom was very lucky to come to Mae Sot Hospital to give birth to me. My mom did not want me to be born in the camp. I was born in the hospital. I do not know if my mom was given my birth certificate or not. Now I do not have my birth certificate (stateless youth, FGD, Mae Sot, Tak province, 12 September 2014).
Since opening in 1989, Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) has been widely recognised among refugees and migrant workers as a community hospital run by Dr. Cynthia Maung, who was displaced in 1988. The clinic has been providing health care services to the Myanmar refugees, legal and illegal migrant population in Mae Sot province and around the area. At the clinic, all babies are provided with birth documents. With this document, the parents can apply for a Thai birth certificate and 13-digit ID Code at the municipality office, although this number does not confer Thai citizenship35 (Mae Tao Clinic’s officer, in-depth interview, Mae Sot, Tak province, 16 September 2014).
Case Study 6: Ma: A Mother of a Stateless Youth
Ma, 35 years old, from Karen state, came to live in a refugee camp for a while before she searched for a job outside the camp. She has now been working on a farm in Phop Pra District, Thailand, for more than 8 years. During her pregnancy, she went to visit Mae Tao Clinic once because she was aware of her status as an illegal worker.
35 Children born to migrant parents in Mae Tao Clinic are provided with birth documents with
the13-digit ID Code beginning with number ‘0’ which categorises them as stateless people without civil registration records, and who have not been granted Thai citizenship. They have been permitted to live temporarily in Thailand (NGO representative, in-depth interview, Mae
She was afraid of being arrested by the police along the way since she does not have any legal document.
I was seven months into my pregnancy when I decided to come to the clinic to give birth. After the birth, I processed my baby to get a Thai birth certificate and ID number. With the help of the clinic staff and the birth document from the clinic, I hope my baby will get them soon.
Source: A mother of a stateless youth, in-depth interview, Mae Sot, Tak province, 8 September 2014
Since the establishment of the Committee for Protection and Promotion of Child Rights (CPPCR) in 2002, all babies who are born in the clinic are registered with the CPPCR. This service is also for unregistered migrants who are afraid of going to the municipality office for their child’s registration. According to CPPCR (2009), more than 13,400 children registered with CPPCR between July 2003 and December 2008. With the objective of decreasing the number of children without documents, registered children are provided with either a Birth Registration Record36 or a Child Record37. These documents are recognised by UNHCR’s resettlement programme and some community- based migrant learning centres (Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Child Rights (Burma) 2009; Mae Tao Clinic’s officer, in-depth interview, Mae Sot, Tak province, 16 September 2014).