"Stateless" boy who emerged as leader in Thailand cave was key to rescue

[demmiblue]

The 12 boys rescued from a cave in Thailand are reported to be feeling better Thursday morning. The boys and their soccer coach have been hospitalized since their 18-day ordeal ended earlier this week and are expected to spend at least a week at the hospital, followed by 30 days at home.

The British divers who found the boys also had a helper inside the cave: A student who was able to take a leadership role by translating for them. Staff at his school told CBS News' Anna Werner, that's not surprising. He's a boy who has already faced significant challenges in his life and overcome them.

Teacher Kru Nice says 14-year-old Adun Sam-On has always been a leader, despite the fact he doesn't have his parents with him or even an official home. Since Adun's parents slipped him out of Myanmar eight years ago to escape the ethnic conflicts there, he's become one of many students at this school considered "stateless." He's not a citizen of any country. Yet in Thailand, Adun is a top student and a standout athlete.

Kru told us she was so worried when she learned Adun was trapped in the cave. But Adun's proficiency in languages – he speaks four – proved key inside the cave, as he acted as translator for the British divers during the complicated rescue.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thailand-cave-rescue-new-details-about-boy-who-emerged-as-leader/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=54175357

[Guilded Lilly]

1. K & R

[Iliyah]

2. A immigrant who escaped ethnic cleansing in Myanmar

[Merlot]

10. According to cbs it was conflicts, not cleansing.

"...to escape the ethnic conflicts there," because "cleansing" is just to much truth.

Got to protect those sensitive viewers/readers.

[gademocrat7]

3. Bravo, Adun Sam- On!

[pazzyanne]

4. And a child will lead.

Stories like this and the Parkland survivors give me hope for the future of our country and the world. That hope lies in today's children. We just need to hold things together for 10 years or so.

[Silver Gaia]

5. Yes, I so agree with you, pazzyanne!

Thank you.

[olegramps]

13. Unfortunately, far too many of our children have undergone extensive brainwashing.

Last edited Thu Jul 12, 2018, 10:36 AM - Edit history (1)

I have extended family in the South. I am sorry to say that the majority of them are very racist. What they have to say in public is dramatically different than what they say privately. Has it gotten better? Most certainly in that they can no longer express their irrational hatred publicly. But don't be mislead. There is a tacit understanding about the position of most politicians. I would also emphasis that their have been people who have grown up in this culture that absolutely rejected racism. My mother was a strong advocate of equal treatment of every person. I say hear loudly condemn my father for racist remarks. I swear that she would have crowned him with a frying pan if he didn't apologize. My great-great grandfather, her grandfather owned slaves demonstrating that people can break with their upbringing and stand for justice. Perhaps you can see why I admired my mother and grandmother who would not tolerate the profound ignorance of some people.


I want to add a couple of comments. I believe that many southern women shared the same sentiments as my mother. They could identify with Black people because of the way women in general were disregarded and dismissed as inferior to the males. I think that they would have been more vocal, but actually feared to speak out. It was a maco male dominated world and just think it wasn't until 1919 that women were even allowed to vote and that wasn't greeted too well in many quarters. It well sickens me when I see children mimiking the same ignorance and blind prejudice.

[Lulu KC]

6. The gift that keeps on giving.

And I do so love that it happened during World Cup. Croatia + Thailand cave rescue = rays of sunshine

[PatrickforO]

7. Two observations from this article:

1. The boys are going to be in hospital for a week after their ordeal. Here in America they'd NEVER be able to afford that.

2. A 'stateless' boy turns into a hero. Standout athlete, top academic performer, speaks four languages. This is a great illustration of the inestimable worth of all human beings, and a great reminder of how we cannot judge someone merely based on immigrant status. It is their actions that define them as human beings, and it is not where they've been, but what they do and where they go in the future that matters.

You know, with all this white nationalism out there, and the xenophobia, he hatred toward LGBTQ people, racism and misogynistic patriarchy, the worth of all human beings is an important thing to remember. Trump and his ilk would have us forget that and dehumanize everyone different.

Can't let that happen.

[karin_sj]

8. Yes!

I agree so much with what you said, especially the second statement. This understanding of the value and great potential of every human being is one of the many things that is totally missing from Trump and his supporters.

[olegramps]

15. They have, unforturnately for the nation, adopted fascist principles and tactics.

Be afraid, very afraid that the prevail. This upcoming election could be catastrophic if they are not soundly defeated at the polls. It is a serious situation in which over 30% of our citizens are committed to policies that are diametrically opposed to the very principles upon with the nation was founded. Michael Moore predicted that Trump would win the election after Sanders entered the fray and now predicts that the nation is so divided that Trump will win reelection. We can only hope that we can make his prediction untrue as he hopes.

[populistdriven]

9. bookmarked this thread just for your post nt

[Mosby]

11. americans can't even afford the ambulance ride to the hospital.

Great post.

[B Stieg]

12. And if this worthy young man came to our borders to apply for asylum...

he'd end up in a cage at some "undisclosed location." It's impossible to run "merit-based immigration" when you yourself have none.

Thank you for your diligence, heart and strength, Adun.

President Mr Trump, you are an abomination, deplorable, in fact.

Register and vote!

[malaise]

14. Nice

Rec

[NNadir]

16. Trump would have put him in a cage.

He sure as he'll wouldn't be playing on a soccer team here.

[Jarqui]

17. We're involved with helping these stateless children

http://childrenoftheforest.org/
The website is not very good. It does not do a good job of telling the real story.

The linked organization began when a young man from the UK found stateless children in the jungle of Thailand being hunted for labor and sex slavery by armed gangs in pickup trucks. The kids - often orphaned - were hiding in the jungle to avoid being snatched with no police willing to stand up for them because they were stateless. Makes what Trump is doing to separate kids from their parents look like a misdemeanor by comparison though both are horrific injustices done to innocent and helpless children.

This young man, Daniel Hopson, formed the above organization and they help roughly about 1000 children and some mothers in various ways annually now - including feeding, housing, protecting, some basic medical and education.

We're working with them trying to help them become more self sufficient and helping their fundraising as well as contributing to university education of one of the young adults who is going to return to help run the organization.

The people who did this for these kids are as good as any I've ever encountered in terms of integrity and self sacrifice for their wonderful cause. They deserve to be acknowledged like the CNN heroes. The charity is very lean with maximum dollars going to the kids.

The plight of these stateless children takes your breath away. I hope this wonderful stateless child who helped here brings more attention to the plight of these children. They're in desperate need of help.

[renate]

18. thanks for this!

The organization I know of is Partners Relief and Development. They're Christian, but the real kind as far as I can tell, not the preachy kind. They've been working whole-heartedly with the Rohingya for quite a while even though they're Muslim, which I really admire in a Christian charity.

I'm glad to know about Children of the Forest--thank you!

[grantcart]

21. Thanks for the link

[applegrove]

19. Brings a tear to mine eye.

[JI7]

20. we can learn a lot from this Thailand rescue which would make the world a better place