A LONG-TIME Thai advocate for the rights of stateless people is on the final list of four candidates for the prestigious Nansen Award, the Thai-language daily Thai Rath reported today (Sept 11, 2018).
Better known as “Teacher Daeng,” Ms Tuenjai Deetes said upon hearing the news: “I hope that this award will raise greater awareness among the Thai public, government agencies and foreign countries about the plight of these stateless people.”
According to her, none of the Thai government agencies has provided an exact number of foreign refugees in the country. “They are here (in Thailand) as invisible people under Thai law,” she said.
“I hope this government will take serious action on this matter,” she added.
The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award is presented every year to an individual or organization who has dedicated their time going above and beyond the call of duty to help people forcibly displaced from their homes, Unhcr.org said.
The award is named after Fridtjof Nansen, courageous Norwegian explorer and humanitarian who served as the first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League of Nations.
Through its recipients, the Nansen Refugee Award aims to showcase Nansen’s values of perseverance and commitment in the face of adversity.
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Top: Tuenjai is all smiles as she talks to the press about her prestigious nomination. Photo: Thai Rath
By Songpol Kaopatumtip
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