1 Thank you chair. Salam terhormat kepada tuan 2 dan puan 2 sekalian. My name is Sukkree Aitae, a representative of the Foundation for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in Thailand’s Southern Border Provinces. I am honoured to represent Malay Muslims with Disabilities, an ethnic, religious, and linguistic minority group in a conflict area in Thailand. Our lives are affected and excluded by intersectional discrimination leading to economic inequality, a lack of access to quality education and health systems, including zero opportunity for persons with disabilities to access mainstream employment. Importantly, there is neglect of the needs of persons with disabilities in welfare and social structures. People with disabilities from the Malay Muslim Minority community are excluded and overlooked in all policy decisions and in the peace dialogue process. As a Malay Muslim with Disabilities who works to promote a good quality of life for persons with disabilities, I would like to propose three recommendations. 1. A call to action from the Thai government to enforce relevant legislation based on the context of the Southern Border Provinces and the needs of persons with disabilities belonging to minority groups. 2. A call to action from the Thai government to end intersectional discrimination by supporting persons with disabilities to access quality welfare and protect them from violations and degradation of human dignity. 3. A call to action from this Forum to support and promote the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities to reflect their existing challenges at the international level. Thank you. Terimakasih.

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