‘Diagnosing’ Statelessness Commonly deemed the ‘father of the country’, King Bhumibol’s call for inclusion and standardised treatment toward the non-citizen ‘Other’ holds a legitimising effect for those mobilising for the citizenship rights of stateless persons in Thailand. The very same quote also reflects a common view among the Thai policymakers that statelessness is not only a problem of individual human security but that of national security. The late King’s words were referenced in an official letter issued by the Ministry of Interior on 12 May 2016. 2 Classified as ‘Extremely Urgent’, the letter urges all provincial governors and district officials in the country to be determined to address legal status and nationality issues in honour of the 70th anniversary of his reign, prompting one to wonder what would come after the commemoration. 3 The letter summarises the principles of obtaining Thai citizenship and outlines specific instructions and warnings for operational bureaucrats. 4 Attached to the letter is an eight-page document containing flow charts with a detailed break-down of the required documentary evidence and the appropriate decision-making for a multitude of legal scenarios. 5 In addition to reminding local officials to follow strictly the rules and protocols, it also urges them to be careful not to create any opportunities for any exploitations or corruption regarding civil registration and citizenship granting. The letter also encourages the flow charts be printed off and posted in local district offices so that they are visible to the public. 6 The letter and the methodological charts indicate a serious attempt to standardise bureaucratic practices. They also suggest that once a case undergoes proper ‘diagnosis’, 7 a legal solution will emerge and will be smoothly executed. As a country with a large stateless population, Thailand is a key target country for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (‘UNHCR’)’s global campaign on statelessness eradication by 2024 (also known as #IBELONG). 8 While it is widely acknowledged that statelessness is complex and multi-faceted, with ‘no singular appropriate way to respond’, 9 statelessness in Thailand is primarily cast by the state and some activists as an individual legal status issue, which can be resolved by standardised evidentiary procedures. During my fieldwork, I encountered statelessness being described by some activists and 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Letter from Ministry of Interior (Thailand) to the Governor of each province, 12 May 2016 [tr author] (‘2016 Letter’) <https://www.bora.dopa.go.th/nationclinic/images/document/Citizenshipdiagnostics.pdf>. I have observed that this usage in the official communication could be considered as the success of the non-governmental organisation networks in their campaign, but this is not the objective of my research. ibid 1. I conducted my fieldwork intermittently from September 2015 – January 2018, totalling 12 months. My fieldwork started before, and lasted after, King Bhumibol’s death in October 2016. This letter was issued before his death. 2016 Letter (n 2). These warnings include ‘beware of new illegal immigrants or labour migrants who claim to be members of highland communities’: at 2 [4.4]. ibid 4, citing Permanent Secretary of the Interior, Guidance on Diagnosing Nationality and Resolving Legal Status Issues (Guidelines, 12 May 2016) <https://www.bora.dopa.go.th/nationclinic/images/document/Citizenshipdiagnostics.pdf>. 2016 Letter (n 2) 3. ibid 4. ‘#IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness’, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Web Page) <https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/ibelong-campaign-to-end-statelessness.html>. Tendayi Bloom, Katherine Tonkiss and Phillip Cole (eds), Understanding Statelessness (Routledge 2017) 2; see also Benjamin Lawrance and Jacqueline Stevens (eds) Citizenship in Question: Evidentiary Birthright and Statelessness (Duke University Press 2017); Jacqueline Bhabha (ed) Children Without a State (The MIT Press 2011). 215