The former director of a school in Thailand’s Ang Thong province has sought legal support from the Lawyers Council of Thailand, claiming it was unfair to remove her from her job after 126 Myanmar children were found at her former school.
Kalaya Tasom said she and five other people are also facing legal action for bringing in and giving shelter to illegal immigrants.
The only intention and reason she brought children into the Thai Rath Wittaya School, in Pa Moke district of Ang Thong,was to give them an opportunity to study, said Kalaya at a press briefing.
The presence of the children, aged between seven and sixteen, raised suspicions when the Kalaya sought registration with provincial education office, to secure financial support. The office looked into the case and found that most of the children could not communicate in Thai.
Kalaya was removed from her job, as it was believed that shehad “imported” the children from a northern border location, to increase the number of students in the school and save it from being closed down or merged with another school.
At the press briefing, Kalaya wept, saying that she had followed a rule that allows her to register children who do not have Thai identity cards.
“Now, an assistant teacher, a janitor, a village headman and I are facing charges of bringing in illegal immigrants, the punishment for which is a jail term of up to ten years and a fine of up to Bt10,000. We are also charged with giving shelter to the children,” she said.
It is unfair to her and other suspects, as she was just trying to help the Myanmar children.
