INTERVENTION Fourth Session of the Forum on Minority Issues Guaranteeing the rights of minority women Thank you Madame Chair for this great opportunity. My name is Sirada Khemanitthathai from People's based in Thailand. Due to violent incidents in the Three Southern Border Provinces of Thailand conducted by insurgents to ask for their right to self-determination and the government's provisions of special Malayu-Muslim women in this area are experiencing threats according to increasing number of deaths, wounded and, widowed women and those whose husbands are arrested and accused. It is welcomed to have relief action centers and compensation measures' done by the government, but there are many problems of access to healthcare and justice, as well as sustainability in practice and the lack of women's participation in policy making. Madame Chair, Stateless women in Northern Thailand are particularly at risk of human trafficking, especially for sexual exploitation. They also face difficulties accessing public services, like health and education, because of obstacles to obtaining a legal status. Although there is the 2008 Nationality Act, naturalization of these groups is not progressive. According the Draft Recommendations, recommendation number 14 (access to justice and access to remedies), 23 (close collaboration with local and minority institutions and existing administrative structures) and 88 (ensuring health services), we are in full support. However, the mentioned recommendations must follow in regard to religious sensitivity in the Southern Border Provinces and there should be a local reformative administrative body. Regarding stateless women, recommendation number 27 (legitimate right to citizenship), 28 (elimination of traffick ing) and 89 (prevent discriminatory practices in health-care providers) should be adopted and concretely implemented by the government, as well as media's role on the recommendation number 47 (avoid perpetuating existing misconception and stereotypes), Madame Chair, 1 The Three Southern Border Provinces are Yale, Pattani, Narathiwat (previously included Satun province and 4 districts in Songkla), This area is historically known as Pattani C ity State or Patani Darus Salam. 2 The special laws include Martial Law, the Emergency Decree of 2004 and Internal Security Act of 2008,