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8 Things You Should Know About How Black People Are Treated In Thailand

By Olivia | Published on July 14, 2015

The indigenous people of Thailand are victims of institutional racism.

Many of the indigenous people of Thailand are Black, both culturally and phenotypically. As a result, they are grossly mistreated by the population and government of Thailand. According to a 2007 article on Irrawaddy.org, a Burmese news site, More than 200,000 indigenous people in Thailand are essentially stateless and have sought national verification from the government for many years. Amporn Meesuk, who was Thailand’s human rights commissioner at the time said the stateless status of many indigenous people denies them access to public programs, including education and medical services. Amporn said that, “in many cases, the human rights abusers are government officials.” Although the government has undertaken registration schemes targeting the indigenous people of Thailand, statelessness still continues to restrict access.

via Voice of America

The Black people of Thailand are very vulnerable to human trafficking.

A report released by U.S. Department of State explains that “foreign migrants, members of ethnic minorities, and stateless persons in Thailand are at the greatest risk of being trafficked, and they experience various abuses that may indicate trafficking, including the withholding of travel documents, migrant registration cards, work permits, and wages.” Many of these individuals are often of members of indigenous Thai ethnic groups. Children from hill tribes in northern Thailand seeking employment opportunities have been found in commercial sexual exploitation, including sex trafficking and in bars in major cities within the country, according to the U.S. Department of State.

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