U.S. Is Urged Not to Rush Toddler’s Return to Thailand

Who will soothe Got when he wakes up crying in the middle of the night? Will anyone see that he gets regular checkups, as doctors have ordered? Will he repeatedly be moved between orphanages and homes with no chance for a stable life?

Most important, will he be in danger back in Thailand--the kind of danger that landed the 2-year-old halfway around the world with no family?

The Thai activists caring for Got, who was apparently used as a decoy by people entering Los Angeles illegally last month, are demanding answers to these questions.

In lengthy, detailed letters faxed or delivered to American and Thai officials--who seem determined to return Got home sooner rather than later--they ask that more be done to ensure his safety in Thailand. In the meantime, they want Immigration and Naturalization Service officials to delay his departure, which they say is scheduled for Tuesday.

The activists say INS officials have an obligation to do more than merely make sure Got safely boards a plane in Los Angeles.

“The INS can’t just pass this onto the Thai government and say, ‘It’s your case,’ ” said Hae Jung Cho, project director for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, which is involved in the case.

“The INS has not yet made an effort to follow the proper procedures here,” she said. “On the Thai side, there are some big questions. It’s chaotic.”

INS officials this weekend declined to provide details on Got’s case, confirming only that he is scheduled to return to Thailand this week.

“It is standard operating procedure not to divulge certain information,” said Rico Cabrera, a spokesman for the city’s INS office.

Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, meanwhile, has called for an investigation into the case. The Associated Press, citing a Bangkok newspaper, quoted Leekpai saying he wants the Thai Foreign Ministry to learn how Got was removed from the country and if his case was isolated.

Thai officials said last week that the Social Welfare Ministry in Bangkok will take custody of the boy when he arrives. He probably will be put in an orphanage until other custody arrangements can be made.

That decision angers the child’s paternal grandparents, who want to adopt him, said Chanchanit Martorell, executive director of the Thai Community Development Center. The organization has arranged for Got’s care in Los Angeles. Those caring for Got--the boy’s nickname--asked that his full name be withheld to protect his privacy.

Martorell spoke with the grandparents by telephone Sunday to ask if they are able--financially and otherwise--to care for Got. Social Welfare Ministry officials in Bangkok apparently have determined that the child’s mother, Tabtim Kaewpaenchan, 22, is not prepared to care for him, Martorell said.

“The grandparents are anxious to take over his care,” she said. But, she added, “They want to travel here and spend a few days here before taking Got back to Thailand.”

That won’t be possible if Got departs from Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, as scheduled.

Another concern is the child’s health. When the INS took custody of him, Got had a cold and a severe ear infection. He underwent minor surgery Thursday to drain his ears, and has a follow-up appointment Tuesday, said Chutima Vucharatavintara, the social worker providing care for him.

“How can he fly Tuesday if the doctor is still checking him that morning?” she said Sunday.

Cho and Martorell issued letters Sunday to INS Commissioner Doris Meissner, the prime minister of Thailand, the Social Welfare Ministry in Bangkok and the consul general of the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles requesting that more care be taken with Got’s return.

They compare Got’s situation to that of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez, who landed in Miami last year with no immediate family. If INS officials brought Elian’s father to America, scrutinized his documents and interviewed him to ensure his fitness to care for the child, should not the same care be taken with Got? Cho asked.

And they insist that Got’s dilemma underscores a much larger problem: Each year, millions of people become pawns in the international traffic in human labor. Got entered the country illegally on April 11, purportedly a decoy for two adults who have since been deported.