Fate of Thailand’s stateless folk up in the air – 16 Sep 09

A 12-year-old champion paper plane thrower has become the symbol of a growing crisis in Thailand. Mong Tong-dee won the right to compete in a Japanese paper plane contest but the Thai government would not let him go. Despite being born in Thailand, as the son of migrant workers, Mong is considered “stateless” and the government would not issue him a passport, until Thailand’s prime minister stepped in. Al Jazeera’s Wayne Hay reports from Chiang Mai on the plight of Thailand’s stateless people.