Cross Cutting Initiatives

The objectives under this category for 2003 – 2005 are:

• To respond to urgent issues of the day which are within the mandate and general objectives of APWLD;
• To respond to requests from APWLD members and partners which are within the mandate of APWLD.

The Secretariat participated in major anti-war actions held on various dates mentioned above in Chiangmai and Bangkok. In most activities, the Secretariat was actively involved in planning and pre-mobilisation activities such as writing of press releases, drafting of statements, production and distribution of leaflets. APWLD also sponsored the printing of WOW stickers, which were distributed during protest actions. Media coverage was mobilised for the anti-war activities, including release of statements from the members of the Secretariat in Chiangmai local TV news, national newspapers and a regional news magazine. Through this series of activities, the

Secretariat was able to link with local networks in Chiangmai and a few groups in Bangkok active in the peace movements.

As part of the celebration of the International Women’s Day in Chiangmai, Thailand, there was a three-day training workshop among young women from different ethnic groups and communities from Burma. Members of the Secretariat were resource persons in two sessions on lobbying. On March 8, the Secretariat marched with other women’s groups in Chiangmai wearing red WOW (Women against War)! shirts. An APWLD statement was drafted, printed and circulated to the press, on the web, and during the rally. Media coverage for the event included a radio interview by Free Asia of a member of the Secretariat.

30 May 2003 goes down the history of the democracy movement in Burma as Black Friday. The leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung San Suu Kyi, NLD Vice-Chair U Tin Oo and some democracy activists were ambushed and detained by the military junta of Burma. Scores of her supporters were killed or reported missing. There was a crackdown on the democracy movement within Burma and along the borders. To draw attention to these human rights violations, the Secretariat has been actively involved in planning and undertaking two consecutive actions at the Indian and Chinese consulate offices. These countries were targeted as they continue to be the strongest neighboring allies of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

Letters of appeal were delivered at the consulates to urge their governments to withdraw any kind of support – military, economic or political to SPDC until the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and redress of human rights violations. About 30 people from 10 different countries marched to the Indian Consulate in Chiangmai, with placards and statements in Thai and English distributed to the public and media. Two days after, the same action was held in the Chinese Consulate. This time, a slightly bigger group joined the demonstration with more Thai and some members of the ethnic groups from Burma. There was good print media coverage but compared to the media coverage at the Indian Consulate, there was no broadcast coverage as TV stations were advised not to cover the action.

The intent of the actions was not to lobby the governments of India and China for support since these countries, especially China, have their long list of human rights violations. The actions were meant to create public awareness and urge the Thaksin government to make a clear and strong position for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. APWLD actively participated in the campaign in the context of advocating for the protection and promotion of women human rights defenders. The Secretariat sees this participation as strategic in developing the network’s capacity to work in this area. With these series of actions, potential avenues for collaboration were opened with the women-in-peace movement in Chiangmai and some groups of the democracy movement of Burma.

During the visit of UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders Hina Jilani to Thailand on 24-25 May 2003, APWLD led the consultations between the UN Special Representative and human rights defenders in Thailand. Following the consultations, the Secretariat held initial meetings with some key NGOs, both in Chiangmai and in Bangkok, to further discuss among the women human rights defenders in Thailand this “war against dark influence,” and the ways of effectively challenging it. The meetings resulted in a plan to hold a nationwide discussion among women human rights defenders in Thailand.

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