Universal Declaration of Human Rights A man University student Sakhon Nakhon province Voice ��If we don’t know that we have a right, we cannot realize that it is being violated” A man from Sakhon Nakhon province describes the challenges he faced in obtaining recognition of his rights in Thailand because he did not have Thai nationality. He was born in Thailand, but until recently, he only held Vietnamese nationality. His parents, reportedly Thai-born of Vietnamese origin, had initially acquired Thai nationality, which was then revoked and later re-acquired. He explains that his nationality at birth was erroneously registered as Vietnamese. Although his Thai nationality was finally recognized after a long period and many administrative procedures, his experience made him realize that the deprivation of nationality prevents a person from enjoying fundamental rights, stemming from not being recognized as a legal person for even the simplest administrative procedures. “You can really only understand the true implications of this if you have had firsthand experiences, such as not being able to open a bank account or obtain a simple driving license,” he explains. He also mentions that his aspiration had been to enter medical school, but as he was not administratively recognized as a Thai national, he was told that he could not be entitled to obtain a public service post upon graduation. Fortunately, he was advised to seek help from the National Human Rights Commission, and thus eventually acquired his Thai nationality. He is now in his fifth year of medical school. “If we don’t know that we have a right, we cannot realize that it is being violated,” he explains. Since obtaining his Thai nationality, he has been helping a number of students who have not obtained Thai nationality, despite being born in Thailand, to gain entrance to schools. He points out that the right to study and enter university should not depend on whether or not one is Thai. “Nationality is an abstract concept to me. What is important is to have the possibility to enjoy equal opportunities and have the same rights as others. I was born in Thailand, have always lived here, and will die here,” he stresses. He recommends that the United Nations assist the government in raising awareness on the right to recognition. 32 Dignity and Justice for All of Us