Chiang Rai, The Prime Minister visited Mae Chan, wearing a traditional Iu Mien ethnic shirt given to him by the villagers, and listened to the problems of the ethnic groups. He expects the draft of the Ethnicity Act to be completed this month, reducing the time for nationality verification from 180 days to 5 days, and insisting that government officials must provide equal and equal care.
Prime Minister Settha Thavisin, along with his entourage, and Chiang Rai MP Piyarat Tiyapairat visited Ban Pong Pa Kham in Mae Chan District, Chiang Rai Province. Upon arrival, representatives of the tribes gave the Prime Minister a Yao or Iu Mien tribal shirt, which he immediately put on. The community leaders then welcomed him according to the tribe’s traditions and invited him and his entourage to their home for a cup of tea. The food they received included sesame rice cakes or Doi Mochi, which are considered heavenly desserts. The community leader, or the King, said that it was an honor, as the village has been here for
70 years and that a leader had just come to visit the village. He wished him a long-term prime minister, to be with the ethnic groups for a long time, and to have a safe and secure journey. The Prime Minister stated that it was an honor to be welcomed, saying that he came as a Thai, not as a Prime Minister or a Cabinet member. Today, he is ready to listen to the problems in order to find solutions.
The Prime Minister then met to discuss problems in the area. Community leaders reflected on the problem that out of the 77,729 ethnic tribes in the area, 19,432 do not have citizenship, which limits their rights. In terms of public utilities, it was found that some villages still do not have electricity. As for the public health system, Mae Fah Luang Hospital would like to see more personnel added because there are not enough to serve the people.
Mr. Settha told the villagers that this was his first time visiting the village and that he received a warm welcome and entered the home of the community leader. Accordi
ng to Thai tradition, welcoming people into a home is considered the highest honor and that we are considered to be of the same group. The main problem is the inequality that ethnic minorities have always been underserved. However, under the push of MP Piyarat, who is determined to push for the draft of the Ethnic Act, which emphasizes the basic rights of nationality, because if they have nationality, they will receive proper care, whether it is basic rights in public health, education, and other matters. The government has promised to complete the verification of nationality within 5 days, not 180 days, but asked for some more time and expected to complete the consideration within July.
‘It is sad that the care of our ethnic brothers and sisters by state officials is still not satisfactory and not equal to our fellow Thai brothers and sisters in other parts. Both constituency and party-list MPs and high-ranking state officials must adhere to the principle of equality. Therefore, I would like to say that the
care of our ethnic brothers and sisters must be equal and without discrimination. State officials in the security sector and the public health sector must also provide equal care,’ said Mr. Settha.
The Prime Minister continued that as for the insufficient hospitals, it is certain that everywhere, whether in the North, South or Northeast, there are already insufficient hospitals. The government is trying to allocate a budget to provide comprehensive care. As for electricity, it can be assured that it will be provided because it is a basic necessity that everyone should receive. Water management is important because agriculture is a basic necessity that enables survival, both from consumption and trade. Today, many government agencies have come, so I would like to ask them to take care of our ethnic brothers and sisters so that they are equal and on par with all Thai brothers and sisters. I would like to emphasize that it is a great honor and I think that this will not be the last time I come. I hope that in d
ue time I will be able to come back to see the progress, but for now, let our civil servant brothers and sisters do their work first and I hope that they will be welcomed as warmly as before.
The Prime Minister and his team then listened to problems in Mae Chan District and met with the people at the Pa Teng Natural Hot Spring in Mae Chan District, Chiang Rai Province, and emphasized the need to care for ethnic groups equally.
Source: Thai News Agency