Plane Soars. Designer Grounded!
A 12 year old boy from Chiang Mai wept in Bangkok this week when the Interior Minister refused him permission to represent Thailand at an international aviation contest in Japan.
Mong Thongdee’s only crime is that both his parents are illegal migrant workers from Burma. This means he does not have Thai citizenship. Although the Foreign Ministry had agreed to issue a temporary passport to Mong, consent from the Interior Ministry was still required.
“He should represent Burma” said Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul.
The small paper plane, designed and flown by Mong, stayed in the air for 12.5 minutes at the Thai contest last year held by the National Metal and Materials Technology centre, Bangkok. An overjoyed Mong was told that this qualified him for a place in the Origami Airplane Contest in Chiba, Japan, on September 19-20.
Now it seems as if the runner-up in the Thai contest will take his place.
Mong attends Ban Huay Sai school in Suthep, and the Mayor of that area has already paid 10,000b of his own money to cover the boy’s expenses. He now has another ally in the ‘Bangkok Post’, which on October 3rd devoted the whole of their comment column to his case:
“The issue should have been solved more amicably and with more compassion. The authorities should be faulted for not doing enough to inform illegal migrant workers of their basic rights to education and healthcare – and all because of an ingrained prejudice on the part of the beaurocracy towards unwelcome migrants.”
Editor’s note: Many thousands of adults and children in Mong’s situation are striving for Thai citizenship. However, some Thai authorities fear that leniency in this case would set a precedent in their favour. Unlike countless others in his situation, young Mong is at least getting an education.
Update Friday 4th September 2009: Pilot Cleared for Take-Off!
In an unprecedented about turn, the Interior Ministry reversed their decision on September 3rd and the young plane maker/pilot will now be allowed to compete in Japan.
“This has nothing to do with public pressure” claimed a Ministry spokesman, shortly before the 12 year old was received by Prime Minister Abisit Vejajiva. The PM said that he will raise the issue of stateless children in the National Security Council “to resolve problems of their education and health care.” The boy thanked the PM profusely and gave him a paper aeroplane.
Update Friday 21stth September 2009: Third in the Solos!
On Sunday, Mong finished 3rd overall in the solo flight part of the competition and returns home to Chiang Mai to a heroes’ welcome this week. His best solo throw (of 3 allowed) kept the tiny paper plane in the air for 10.53 seconds.
The stateless boy’s amazing feat brought in worldwide congratulations. One blogger named Wombat wrote:
“First, 3rd or last, YOU ARE A WINNER!”
Editor’s note: Estimates of the number of stateless people in Thailand, most of them in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son provinces, range from half a million to 4 million. Far more may benefit from this important about-face than one small boy and his tiny glider.
This article text is Copyright © MyChiangMai 2009, no reproduction without prior permission.
