2019 Statelessness & Citizenship Review 1(2) Our first stop was to investigate the impact of mass citizenship revocation on the highland communities in District A. In 2004–05, the Department of Special Investigation (‘DSI’) claimed that large-scale corruption took place during the process of granting Thai citizenship to these communities in the district.86 According to DSI, not all those who were granted Thai citizenship met all the criteria; most applications were incomplete and some evidence was fabricated. 87 The local government officers involved were condemned as ‘the sell-out gang’, who betrayed the country and the national security by falsely approving the identities of recent migrants as members of the community. The motive behind unlawful acquisition of Thai citizenship was speculated as to allow transnational criminals from Myanmar to assume Thai identity and traffic drugs and commit crimes. 88 As a result, the government ordered a mass revocation of the citizenship of more than 5,000 persons and put a ‘pause’ on all the activities related to their legal status including not issuing their newborn babies with a Thai identification number. Suspension would be lifted once DSI completed a thorough investigation. This blanket removal of citizenship had been affecting the daily life of these 5,000 villagers for more than a decade. When the villagers followed up, the district officers would say the documents were still with DSI and there was nothing to be done. Such practice was not deemed a violation of human rights, but protection of national security. With the District not wanting to do anything to contradict or disobey the order of a central government agency, an intervention by a neutral entity — such as the NHRC — was needed. When we finally arrived, we were greeted by the villagers and led to a tribal museum-turned-meeting hall. A long table was set up in the front of the room for the Sub-Committee members, facing rows of chairs occupied by villagers who came from five affected villages in the district. The atmosphere was tense with anticipation. I noticed many villagers holding a folder containing all their official documents, ready to prove their identities to the committee. After initial greetings, the convener asked for a show of hands of those who could speak Thai, those who attended Thai schools, those who were previously granted Thai citizenship and those who were born in Thailand. Different hands show up at different times. An interpreter was on the side to facilitate communication. The villagers explained how this legal limbo negatively impacted their life. Holding a baby in her arms, a woman next to me shared her worries with me that her baby would not have a future due to lack of citizenship. 86 87 88 The Department of Special Investigation (‘DSI’) was established in 2002 as part of the criminal justice system reform and wider bureaucratic reform during the 2000s. It sits under the Ministry of Justice of Thailand but operates independently of the Royal Thai Police. DSI is tasked with the investigation of special crimes such as white collar crimes, organised crimes and transnational crimes. ‘DSI Hurry to Show Performance to Ministry of Interior: More than 5,000 Fake IDs in Maetaeng District’, Manager Online (online, 24 October 2006) <https://mgronline.com/crime/detail/9490000131926>. ‘Aliens “Bribe” Officials’, Bangkok Post (online, 25 October 2006) <http://www.pressreader.com/thailand/bangkok-post/20061025/281638185700196> accessed 17 July 2018. 226