A stateless Burmese boy has been given the all-clear to travel to Japan to take part in a paper airplane contest after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva stepped in to help.
Mong Thongdee thanks Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for stepping in to help him attend a paper airplane competition in Japan. The Interior Ministry yesterday overturned its decision to refuse Mong permission to travel overseas. THITI WANNAMONTHA
A certificate and temporary passport would be issued to Mong Thongdee, 12, from Chiang Mai, allowing him to travel to the Origami Airplane contest in Chiba, Japan, this month.
The Interior Ministry on Wednesday refused to issue the certificate as the boy was not a Thai citizen and was deemed to be a security risk if he left the country.
Mong yesterday met Mr Abhisit at parliament accompanied by his teacher Duangrit Ketima and Chiang Rai Senator Tuenjai Deetes.
Mr Abhisit said the ministry would now issue the boy with an official certificate allowing him to travel overseas, while the Foreign Ministry would issue him with a temporary passport.
If the Japanese embassy issued him a visa, Mong would leave for Japan on Sept 16 to compete in the contest, to be held on Sept 19-20.
"I am delighted to get permission to travel. I'd like to thank Thais for their support. I also would like them to get behind my effort to win the prize," Mong said.
Mr Abhisit said the boy's case served as a good example to government agencies how to better handle cases involving stateless children.
After the prime minister intervened, Provincial Administration Department chief Vongsak Swasdipanich said the Interior Ministry wrote to the Foreign Ministry and the Immigration Bureau to inform them it had no objection to Mong travelling to the competition.
Mr Vongsak said the decision to grant the boy permission to go to Japan was based on a consideration of treaties, conventions and agreements with foreign countries, and security and human rights concerns.
"The boy still holds the status of a child born to Burmese labourers and is on the waiting list of those who will be repatriated to Burma on Feb 28 next year," he said.
Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul yesterday denied suggestions the ministry was pressured into granting the boy permission to go to Japan.
He said the ministry had to look at legal aspects of the matter to ensure no other stateless people exploited the issue to their advantage.
Source: Bangkok Post
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