Impact of population registration on hilltribe development in Thailand

Ethnic minority groups traditionally live on the fringes of society. In Thailand, an increasing number of them in recent decades have shown willingness to participate in the country’s development and to take their place closer to the mainstream of society. From the Government’s perspective, the main concern has been to address the major problems traditionally associated with the hilltribe population, i.e. opium cultivation and drug addiction, national security issues, conservation of natural resources and environmental degradation. Throughout the past few decades, population registration has become one of the most important issues related to the hilltribe people of Thailand, together with the general question of whether or not indigenous people or ethnic minority groups may become full citizens.