Universal Declaration of Human Rights Two orphan girls, age 16 Chiang Rai province Voice “We should have the right to education, love, shelter, access to medicine, food and warmth like everyone else” Two 16-year-old orphan girls in Chiang Rai province describe their childhood experience as follows: “We drifted from living with one relative to another before we were placed under the guardianship of a Christian orphanage. We both lived in the orphanage for many years but did not possess Thai identity cards.” Each girl now has identity papers issued by the Ministry of Interior that certify their status as stateless people living in Thailand. With these documents, both of them are allowed to enrol in school. “Despite one of us being a top student, as stateless people, we have never been eligible for official academic recognition. I was the only one in the classroom with no Thai identification card. Sometimes I felt very sad and depressed for not being awarded a scholarship,” one of the girls explains. When they were asked about the definition of ‘human rights’, both girls said, “We should have the right to education, love, shelter, access to medicine, food and warmth like everyone else.” 68 Dignity and Justice for All of Us