Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School

APPLY NOW! 2009 Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School

peterahon@gmail.com (Pete Erlano Rahon) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:50:00 +0000

Application Form 2009 Folk School

Deadline: EXTENDED UNTIL 3rd of July 2009
http://www.scribd.com/share/upload/13218417/1bxkevigutmauzq3geer

The May 18 Memorial Foundation Accepts Application for
2009 Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School

“I recognized that the power of small individuals could forge and unite in solidarity to bring about the constructive change to the world. Eventually, Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School (GAHRFS) was a true moral blessing and encouragement to me” a reflection made by Ms. Ratchada Arpornsilp, participant from Thailand 2007.

The May 18 Memorial Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2009 Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School. This year, the application is being made more competitive to screen the number of applications. The emphasis is organizational partnership, so applicants endorsed by their organization will be given priority. Since the foundation will not be able to provide multiple translations, English language will be the medium for exchange.

The GAHRFS aims to contribute to the development of democracy and human rights throughout Asia. Twenty (20) participants will be selected from among applicants from all over Asia who have been working for human rights, peace and democracy. They will be given an opportunity to learn and experience the history and development process of human rights and democracy in Korea(S). The folk school will also serve as an opportunity for participants to exchange and network with other human rights activists.

One of the perks of attending the Folk School is the opportunity to be endorsed for a scholarship. For the last 3 years the foundation has been supporting scholars at Sungkonghoe University studying for their Master of Arts in Inter-Asia NGO Studies (MAINS). They were chosen and selected by the folk school committee based on their active participation and performance during the folk school.

Interested applicants should download the form : http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05010000&idx=428&page=1&key=&keyword=. Applicants are advised to read carefully the guidelines and the rules in order for their application to be considered. The foundation will only accept and consider applicants who will properly comply with the set guidelines and rules.

Useful Information

Period: August 30 – September 19, 2009

This year the foundation will accept 20 applicants:

Junior Staff 8 (with 2-5 years experience)

Middle Management/Advisory 8 (with 5-15 years experience)

Senior/Director 4 (with more than 15 years experience)

Applicants should ensure that they have no potential visa problems. If an applicant is denied entry to Korea because of personal history which they did not disclose to the May 18 Memorial Foundation, the foundation will absolutely not cover their travel expenses. This is the applicant’s responsibility.

If an applicant later decides not to come to the folk school (cancels their application) after they have been selected, the May Memorial Foundation will not accept any applications from their organization for three years.

The May 18 Memorial Foundation will cover the following expenses:

Visa fees

International airfare to Korea

Transportation in Korea

NOTE: Internal airfares (in your country) will be covered if you can prove that the flight is necessary

The following expenses will NOT be covered:

Internal transportation in your country (for example, to the airport or to the embassy)

Official fees other than visa fees (for example, travel tax)

The selection committee may change your status if they believe you have entered under the wrong category (for example, if you apply as a senior but have less than 15 years experience).

We look forward to your application!

Kind regards

Subash Adhikari
Chloe Simons

International Officers
Culture and Solidarity Team

Addresses:
The May 18 Memorial Foundation
5.18 Memorial Culture Hall
Seo-Gu, Sangmudong 1268
Postcode 502-260
Gwangju, Republic of Korea
Phone: +82 62 456 0518
Fax. +82 62 456 0519
Email: 518org@gmail.com
Website : 518.org/eng

Check link here - http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05010000&idx=428&page=1&key=&keyword=

518 Accepts Nominations for the 2009 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:55:00 +0000

“We feel vindicated that our struggle has borne some fruit and we expect that the democratic forces shall forever close the door to military intervention in the body politic by strengthening all the institutions of the state to perform the functions assigned to them under the Constitution. We feel that we have woken up the slumbering giant – the people of Pakistan- to take charge of its own destiny. Our movement does not end with the reinstatement of the deposed judges. It continues and is in fact a never ending journey during the course of which we shall continue to strive for an independent judiciary, for maintaining the supremacy of the Rule of Law, the Constitution and the establishment of civilian supremacy in running the affairs of the Pakistan. And we shall continue to draw inspiration from the Gwangju Democratization Movement of May 1980”.

Those were the concluding statements of Mr. Muneer Malik’s valedictory speech when he received his 2008 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award. The 2008 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee chose Mr. Malik for his fight against military rule in Pakistan. His struggle for the restoration of democracy and human rights is laudable. The award bestowed on him is a message of encouragement to all the citizens, human rights activists and lawyers in Pakistan, who are fighting all together with Muneer A. Malik.

Now, on its 10th year, the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights is open for nomination. Since its inception, this prestigious award has been given to 10 individuals and a Korean organization. In 2006 and 2007 saw co-winners receiving the award. Among the winners include Xanana Gusmao (Timor Leste), Daw Aung San Suu Kyii (Burma), Wardah Hafidz (Indonesia), Malalai Joya (Afghanistan) and Irom Sharmila (India).

For 2009, the prize at stake is 50 Million Korean Won (KRW 50,000,000.00), a gold medal and a certificate. The winner will be invited to grace the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award Night on 18 May 2009, in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. This yearly award is sponsored by the May 18 Memorial Foundation.

The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights was established to celebrate the spirit of May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising by recognizing both individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace in their work. The prize is awarded by the citizens of Gwangju in the spirit of solidarity and gratitude from those whom they have received help in their struggle for democratization. It is hoped that through this award the spirit and message of May 18 will be immortalized in the hearts and mind of humankind.

The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights which is given yearly has the following aims:

1). To enhance the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising by awarding individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad on their contribution to improving human rights and peace throughout the world.

2). To reward individuals, groups and institutions in Korea and/or abroad for promoting the goals of the May 18 Democratic Uprising as a movement toward unification and cooperation.

Deadline for submission of application form is 20 March 2009.

(Note: Please download the form if interested to nominate from this site - http://twurl.nl/3aapv8).

http://www.518.org/

Ria and Din Bid 518 Adieu

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:53:00 +0000

Full of new experience and gratitude, after 10 months of internship, Ria and Din, bid farewell to The May 18 Memorial Foundation to join their NGO in their country Indonesia and Cambodia respectively. The two interns joined the Culture and Solidarity Team from March-December 2008 for a 10-month International Internship Programme on Human Rights. The International Internship Programme strives to contribute to the development of democracy and human rights throughout Asia by recruiting four interns from all over the world, who have been working for human rights and peace organizations in their own countries, and by giving them a chance to learn about and experience the history and process of the development of human rights and democracy in South Korea. Specifically the purpose and aim of the program are the following: to improve International Solidarity and to promote Gwangju as Asia's Hub for Human Rights and Democracy Movement.

Gregoria Barbarica Kristina Ritasari or Ria is grateful for the opportunity the foundation provided her. She is program coordinator of Solidaritas Nusa Bangsa Foundation (SNB or Homeland Solidarity) a Non-government organization with a vision of realizing a democratic Indonesian society, respecting the value of brotherhood and equality in pluralism. Ria works closely with victims family of racial discrimination.

She enjoyed her time and work with the Team and other staff whom she is indebted for learning a lot of things. Ria thanks The May 18 Memorial Foundation for having contributed a lot in changing my views and perspective in life.

Din appreciates everything the foundation had provided him as an intern, especially what the good learning and work environment. He hopes that one day he could return back all the kind favors he received to all Koreans particularly to Gwangju citizens.

"I think our working is very good, positive and effective to target group, and I do believe every thing we have done and have been doing are the best activities in Gwangju City on international solidarity and domestic projects" Din believed.

In 2007 Thet Din was a chosen by Khmer Youth Association as a Youth Partners in Development Program (YPD 2007). He joined an exchange program between Cambodia and Sweden that was supported by Swedish Centre for International Youth Exchange, and YPD for a six-month program. In Sweden he was assigned at International Jönköping University as counselor for an International Development Projects Resource Service for International Project.

Activities of the International Internship Programme 2008

The International Internship Program introduced the interns to Korean history in general and in particular to the movements and struggle for democracy, including the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. Both theoretical learning and practical experiences such as lectures, seminars, discussions, interviews and fieldtrips to the sites of democratization movements in Korea were made.

The interns were assigned to the Culture and Solidarity Team. They were considered as regular staff attending to day-to-day office business. The interns helped in the preparatory work and implementation of different events; made presentations to schools; and performed other tasks the Team will assign them to undertake.

Each intern made a research on a topic of their choice, conducted the relevant research, and delivered a presentation at the end of their internship program. The interns were also supported by the foundation to learn Korean. Both interns enrolled at the Gwangju International Center finishing both basic and intermediate Korean Language Classes.

Highlights of Main Activities

March 2008: Arrival and Orientation

April: Preparation for the May 18 Events

May: Conduct of the May 18 Events

2008 Gwangju International Peace Forum and 2008 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights

RED FESTA

2008 Nanjang-Human-Free Concert

June: Post May 18 Events

July: Preparation for the 2008 Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School

August:
Conduct of the 2008 Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School

Participation to the 2008 ARENA-Sungkonghoe-MAINS Summer School

September: Post Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School

October: Completion of Assigned Project

November: Conduct of Research & NGO Visits

December: Submission of Final Internship Report, Research Work and assigned projects

The above activities were the main events that interns were involved. But throughout the 10-month they were also assigned book reports and performed other tasks for the Culture and Solidarity Team which includes translating brochure of the International Solidarity Programme in their language, blogging issues and campaigns of partners , networking and promotion of the program and activities of the team and attending youth conferences held in Korea.

The interns recommends that The May 18 Memorial Foundation continue the conduct of its International Internship Program. It has been very helpful to have staffs that are capable of speaking other languages aside from Korean and English in improving networking and communications of the foundation. The internship continues to play an important role in the international solidarity work of the foundation so it should be maintained.

The foundation also encouraged the interns participation to international conferences and other workshops held in Gwangju such as the 2nd UNESCO Asian Youth Forum and the 2008 Asian Youth Culture Camp. The interns for this year were given this privilege which is a good opportunity for them to link and network with other youth organizations and learn from those conferences.

As part of interns integration to a new culture and environment they were provided an opportunity to learn Korean language at the Gwangju International Center (GIC). The GIC and other support centers or groups such as church or host family were also introduced to them. Volunteering to groups is deemed useful as well so they can fully maximize their weekends and other free time. Prof. young-im Kim who runs the KONA Book Center is a very-wiling-host family for Din while Ria made close friends at the Catholic church. Interns were able to learn more about Gwangju and Korean culture in this way.

Universal Human Rights Day In Gwangju

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:05:00 +0000

December 10 is celebrated as Human Rights Day and this year marks the 60th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. In most country, this event is celebrated that stipulates human’s fundamental freedoms. But it continues to be disregarded and neglected by governments who lack the political will to implement them. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK)–Gwangju Branch Office organized the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The program was held last December 10, 2008 at the Small Hall of the Gwangju Culture and Art Center.

There were two programmes:

1. 4 PM – 7 PM
The programmes include Christmas exhibition of human rights where pictures and other creative materials adorned Christmas trees. Different organizations distributed books, showed human rights films, etc. There were 22 organizations invited, among them The May 18 Memorial Foundation, Gwangju International Center (GIC), etc. The Foundation put materials (books, CD, pencils, etc) as present for those who would write about human rights and democracy. Other organizations also have souvenirs for their guests.

2. 7 PM – 9 PM
Commemorative event and Cultural performances.

Each delegate from each organization put a Christmas ball to the four Christmas trees on the stage. It is a symbol their involvement in the struggle on human rights, democracy, and peace. The opening performance was presented by Korean theatre group ‘Sin Myeong’. They performed a theatre and dance number where theme was about pluralism on human rights.

Part of the commemorative event presented was the recitation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Cultural performances presented were of various kind of entertainments, there were Drama ‘A Special Bravery’, Congratulatory Poem, Accordion Performance, Creative Masked Dance Performance ‘So Mae’, Various Drum Performances, Accappella performances by children and their mentors , and Youth Musical ‘The Things We want’.

There were also supplement performances which are Fusion Percussion ‘Speeding’ and congratulatory performance.

Among the cultural performances, there was a National costume show from different Asian countries like Korea, China, Singapore, Japan, etc. It depicted the pluralism in the world even in Gwangju. As a hub Asian culture, Gwangju includes people from other countries (Philippines, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, United States of America, etc).

There was a drama presented by school students, the theme was economic problem especially in South Korea. Students have to study hard and find part time job to get money. It describes the situation of life at the present.

In the middle of the program, they showed video messages of Dr. Lenin (India) and Mr.Muneer A. Malik (Pakistan) on human rights day. Dr Lenin is a former winner of the 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights and Mr.Muneer A.Malik is the 2008 winner. There were also messages from different citizens of Gwangju.

On a message on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Laureates of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award, they call for dignity and justice for all. They ask for stronger solidarity among civil society groups and leaders both local and international to protect the freedom and rights of all people especially the marginalized sectors in the society.

The program was finished at around 10 PM. Everyone went back home with their new spirit of democracy. Let’s us put high respect on pluralism and democracy, and abolished all kinds of discriminations!

Happy a human rights day.

By. Gregoria Barbarica K.R.
December 16, 2008

Link:
www.518.org

Eleven Years Detention of Burma's Freedom Fighters in India

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:21:00 +0000

from: M Kim <kimbo119@gmail.com>
reply-to: burmasolidarity@googlegroups.com
to: Burma Solidarity <burmasolidarity@googlegroups.com>
date: Tue, Dec 16, 2008
subject: [BurmaSolidarity] Fwd: Eleven Years Detention of Burma's Freedom Fighters in India
mailing list:
mailed-by: googlegroups.com
signed-by: googlegroups.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Editor Mizzima <editor@mizzima.com>
Date: Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 7:54 PM
Subject: Eleven Years Detention of Burma's Freedom Fighters in India
To: mizzima news <mizzima.news@gmail.com>

14 December 2008

Dear Burmese and Indian friends,

11 February 2009 (Wednesday) would be Anniversary of 11 years detention of 34 Burma's Freedom Fighters (Arakan and Karen nationals) in India. Please help spread this message and send your ideas and contributions on what should be done on that day to highlight their plight and fight for freedom. There were protests by Burmese and Indian activists organised in Kolkata and Delhi in 2008 to mark their 10 years anniversary.

Regards and thanks,

Soe Myint

Note: Please pass this note to whoever you think can help for the freedom of these 34 brave freedom fighters from Burma.

-- ------~~---------------~--------------------~~~----
Mr. Kim
CoordinatorShwe Gas Campaign Committee- India
Ph: +91-9810476273Email: shwecampaign@gmail.com kimbo119@gmail.com www.shwe.org
"You are not a loser, until you quit trying"
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Burma Solidarity" group. To post to this group, send email to burmasolidarity@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to burmasolidarity+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/burmasolidarity?hl=en
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Statement on the 60th Anniversary of UDHR

peterahon@gmail.com (Pete Erlano Rahon) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:22:00 +0000

Message on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Laureates of the Gwang...

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Activism Politics universal declaratio the may 18 memorial

Please visit and check these links:

Gwangju Prize Winners' Statement - http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05020000&idx=413&page=1

Mr. Muneer Malik's Message - http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05020000&idx=412&page=1

Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi's Message - http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05020000&idx=410&page=1

Human Rights Feature - "Time for Change: The Legal Framework for the Rights of Refugees in India"

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:30:00 +0000

from: Achan Mungleng <amungleng@gmail.com>
date: Wed, Dec 3, 2008
subject: [BurmaSolidarity] Human Rights Feature - "Time for Change: The Legal Framework for the Rights of Refugees in India"

--- On Mon, 12/1/08, Human Rights Features (HRF) <rnairsahrdc@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Human Rights Features (HRF) <rnairsahrdc@gmail.com>
Subject: Human Rights Feature - 190
To: hrdc_online@hotmail.com
Date: Monday, December 1, 2008

HUMAN RIGHTS FEATURES

(Voice of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Network)

(A joint initiative of SAHRDC and APHRN)

B-6/6 Safdarjung Enclave Extension, New Delhi 110 029, India.

Phone/Fax: +91-11-2619 2717 / 2619 2706 / 2619 1120

E-mail: humanrightsfeatures@gmail.com

Home Page: http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/

HRF/190/08 Embargoed for 2
December 2008

Dear Madam/Sir,

Please find enclosed HRF-190 titled "Time for Change: The Legal Framework for the Rights of Refugees in India".

The rights deficit that refugees in India experience is directly related to the Indian government's unwillingness to construct a national refugee legal framework, in line with international standards. In order to address this deficit and comply with its international human rights obligations the Government of India must urgently enact national refugee legislation and construct a national status determination agency.

Human Rights Features aim to look at issues behind the headlines from a human rights perspective. If you wish to reproduce any of the Features in entirety, please cite 'Human Rights Features' as the source. If you would like to use HRF content in your own work, please provide complete and accurate citations. We would appreciate it if you could also send us a copy of the published work.

Ravi Nair
For the Editorial Collective
Encl: a. a.

please check:
http://twurl.nl/sx26yq

Update: Activists Demand ASEAN Action for the Release of Burma's Political Prisoners*

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:15:00 +0000

From: Burma Partnership

Date: Fri, Nov 21, 2008

Subject: Update: Activists Demand ASEAN Action for the Release of Burma's Political Prisoners*

To: 518org@gmail.com

Burma Partnership

"Strengthening Cooperation for a Free Burma"

For Immediate Release

21 November 2008

Activists Demand ASEAN Action for the Release of Burma's Political Prisoners

Today, activists from over 40 civil society networks and organizations across the Asia-Pacific Region called on ASEAN leaders to actively demand the release of all political prisoners in Burma, particularly asking the issue to be brought to focus at the upcoming ASEAN summit in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The open letter, endorsed by 44 organizations, states, "So far in November the military regime has sentenced 137 pro-democracy activists, some with sentences up to 65 years imprisonment … These arbitrary trials and imprisonments are more than just incidences of injustice, but political actions aimed at perpetuating fear and prolonging dictatorial domination in Burma."

The activists want ASEAN leaders to recognize the continual arrest and sentencing of pro-democracy activists - artists, students, monks, journalists, lawyers and civilians - as an indication of the increasing instability in Burma. They believe the military junta is not working towards national reconciliation, which many international leaders and ASEAN ministers have called for, but instead actively attempting to silence any person or organization struggling for a government that respects human rights and the rule of law.

"Burma is already a red stain on ASEAN's name, and problems of its further instability are already spilling over. Ever since Burma's military regime pledged to sign the ASEAN charter, it has moved further from the standards of the Charter and engaged in harsh measures that create an insecure society. ASEAN leaders must not ignore these actions," noted Khin Ohmar, Coordinator of the Burma Partnership.

For further information please contact -
Khin Ohmar (Burma Partnership): +66 81 884 0772
Ko Tate Naing (Assistance Association for Political Prisoners): +66 81 287 8751
Debbie Stodhard (Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma): +66 81 686 1652

For updated news and information about Burma: http://apppb.blogspot.com/

518 Accepts Proposal

peterahon@gmail.com (Pete Erlano Rahon) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:11:00 +0000

Announcement!

2009 Grant for Democracy and Human Rights Projects in Asia

Background

The May 18 Memorial Foundation is a non-profit organization established on August 30, 1994 by the surviving victims of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, the victims, families, and the citizens of Gwangju. The Foundation aims to commemorate and continue the spirit of struggle and solidarity of the May 18 Uprising, contribute to the peaceful reunification of Korea, and work towards peace and human rights throughout the world. Since its establishment, the Foundation has carried out numerous projects in varying fields, including organizing memorial events, establishing scholarships, fostering research, disseminating public information, publishing relevant materials, dispensing charity and welfare benefits, building international solidarity, and awarding Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. The Culture and Solidarity Team is in charge of the Foundation's international solidarity work throughout Asia and implements this project.

Description

The 2009 Grant for Democracy and Human Rights Projects in Asia (GDHRPA) supports work that contributes to promoting Democracy and Human Rights and building of international solidarity. This grant shall be awarded to non-government organizations in Asia who continually play a significant role in strengthening people’s participation and empowerment in creating a civil society that respect human rights and protect democracy and peace and encourages international solidarity.

Funding scheme available: (US$ 1 = KRW 1,423.00, as of 24 October 2008)

Scheme

Short-term grant

Description

2 organizations will be supported for one year project

Amount

KRW 3,000,000.00

Interested applicants please check this link:

http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05010000&idx=330&page=1&key=&keyword=

CALL FOR APPLICATION for INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 2009

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:09:00 +0000

CALL FOR APPLICATION

THE MAY 18 MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 2009

The May 18 Memorial Foundation was founded by Gwangju citizens, sympathetic overseas Koreans, and from individuals who sacrificed and got indemnification from the government. It was created on August 30, 1994 by people who believe it's important to keep the ideas and memories of the 1980 May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising alive and remembered.

The International Internship Program is a program of the Foundation created in 2005 to contribute in the development of democracy and human rights throughout Asia. It is also an opportunity for interns to learn and experience the history and process of the development of human rights and democracy in South Korea. Specifically the purpose and aim of the program are the following: 1) To improve international solidarity and networking and 2) To promote Gwangju as Asia's Hub for Human Rights Movement.

The Foundation is looking for two interns who will serve for 10 months from March-December 2009. Applicants female or male should not be more than 30 years of age, with a minimum of 3 years NGO or social development work experience on the issues of human rights, democracy and peace. Must be proficient in English and working knowledge of Korean is an advantage. Must be computer literate (email/internet, blog/web page, lay-out/design, etc).

Living allowance will be provided to successful interns. Housing will be provided but utilities (telephone/internet, electricity, and gas) will be paid for by interns. The Foundation will pay for the round trip airfare of interns.

Please download the application form if you are interested to apply from this links/site:

http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05010000&idx=299&page=1

Deadline of application is on 28 November 2008. Short listed applicants will be emailed for an online/webcam interview through Skype or Yahoo messenger.

Link:

www.518.org

Prominent Monk, Others Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:01:00 +0000

By MIN LWIN
Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Ashin Gambira, one of the organizers of a monk-led uprising that captured international headlines last year, was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on Tuesday by a special court convened behind closed doors at Rangoon’s Insein Prison.

A source close to the leading dissident monk said that the sentence did not include all of the charges against him, and would likely be much longer once the court reaches a final decision on the remaining charges.

Read more:
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14652

Myanmar blogger jailed for 20 years

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 02:07:00 +0000

November 11, 2008

YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) -- Courts in Myanmar have sentenced a blogger, a poet and several dissidents to several years in jail for anti-regime activities, a court official told CNN Tuesday.

The verdicts were announced Monday and Tuesday, the court official said.

Blogger Nay Phone Latt was sentenced to more than 20 years in jail for his illegal Internet activities, the court official said.

Banglore declaration

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:25:00 +0000

From: PVCHR <pvchr.india@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 6:05 PM
Subject: Banglore declaration
To: PVCHR <pvchr@yahoo.com>

http://pvchr-folkschool.blogspot.com/2008/10/bangalore-declaration.html

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Bangalore Declaration

The Bangalore Declaration
Adopted Unanimously By
All India Consultation: For A New Course of Cultural Politics of Indigenous People towards Critical Social Action for Transformation
Organised by
NAFRE –People’s Movement Held at, Bangalore between 13-15th of October 2008

We the representatives and social activists from NAFRE peoples movement, assembled at the All India Consultation at Bangalore between 13-15 October 2008, to deliberate on the origin, machination and implications of the Contemporary Cultural Politics of Social Exclusion, Religious Marginalisation and Communal Fascism as experienced by the vast majority of indigenous people of this Indian Sub-Continent:

Declare our belief in establishing a democratic society based on the culture of Justice, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity, as envisioned by Buddha, Mahatma Jyothi Rao Phule E.V.R.Periyaar, and Baba saheb Ambedkar,
Reveal that for centuries our Children from marginalised communities are snatched of their potential childhood where they are continued to be deprived, divided, excluded, enslaved, victimised and continued to be imposed with worst forms of violence unleashed by every structure of oppression/exploitation and exclusion which are sustained and controlled by the politics of hegemony.

Understand the ploy that Brahmanism has already laid strong foundation in the larger Indian mindset with Varnashrama Dharma, it polarises the entire society and ascribes caste, religious, gender, national, cultural based identities that becomes the source of all forms of discrimination, segregation, exclusion and persecution.

Recognise that the hegemonic ideology of Brahmanism is born out of the segregation of society into various unequal social groups with graded inequalities, destined by the birth of a person attaching with the notion of purity-impurity in order to produce, reproduce and sustain power, hegemony and control ,

Understand that the various streams of native philosophical structures basing itself with the common chord of materialism starting from Shramanism to Buddhism have been either co-opted or wiped out based on its levels of resistance against Brahmanism,
Identify that the contemporary crisis as imposed by the cultural ideology of Brahmanism and its functions through structured institutions like Caste, Patriarchy, Religion and Nation State.

Recognise that contrary to Brahmanical cultural Ideology, the indigenous cultural streams have promoted the Dignity of Individuals and Community, belief in Collective Ownership, Collective Wisdom, Collective life, celebrating symbiotic relationship with nature and belief in non-exploitative and non-hegemonic cultural fabric for thousands of years,

Recognise that Women, Dalits, Adhivasis, coastal communities all other Indigenous communities who continued to uphold the mantle of anti-Brahmanic, anti-Varnashrama cultural politics are the ultimate critical mass who will create and lead the alternate political culture ,

Analyse that the institutions of family, caste, religion, culture, politics where women from various social strata are subjugated to different levels of violence, discrimination, intimidation, cultural slavery and persecutions, including the dehumanised practice of prostitution are the creations of Brahmanical patriarchy.

Recognise that women especially from Dalit communities face multiple forms of discrimination and marginalisation including caste based, religious based and patriarchal ideology and practices,

Recognise that under the yoke of caste system, the entire social groups as Scheduled Castes (Dalits) are denied of any civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, and are destined to live in servitude,

Recognise the fact that the theory of one Nation was promoted by the dominant caste groups led by the ideology of Hinduism (Brahmanism),curtailing the aspirations and natural evolution of several independent nations/nationalities in this sub-continent,

Understand that Brahmanism that got consolidated during the period of British Colonialism has also entrenched itself as Hinduism in state, Politics, Governance, Economics, culture and continue to rule and divide the people into imaginary majority and minorities to discriminate and persecute members of other religions like Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, etc

Understand that in the name of Religion what is attempted by the protagonist of Hindutva is not an issue of faith alone, but more the politics of polarising communities one against the other like Hindu vs Muslim, Hindu vs Christian, Hindu vs Dalits, Hindu vs Adivasis, etc in order to consolidate the Brahmanical Political hegemony,

Identify that the politics of Brahmanism and its culture of intolerance have already played havoc, more so in the post-independence period by unleashing communal tensions, wars where loss of life and blood shedding has seriously broken the canvass of cultural harmony resulting in communal fascism leading to mass murder and xenophobia

Recognise the fact that the remaining tribals across the sub-continent are under perennial and heavy pressure of the same Brahmanical forces to come under the system of slavery and in collusion with imperialist forces has been massively depriving not only their livelihood, resource base but also tribal’ culture and religious distinctness,

Recognise the ongoing war on the Nagas, Mizos and others of the North-Eastern Region is the ploy of the same Brahmanical Exclusion and in opposition to that the People’s aspiration towards self-determination to be upheld and implemented,

Understand the fact that the very intent of our constitution - equality, Democracy, freedom and Secularism – have been defeated by the successive governments and instead promoted the politics of hegemony in every structure and systems like - governance, legal and judicial system, economy, politics, education, infrastructure and control over natural resources and therby denying life with dignity to all historically marginalised communities.

Understand that the historical ploy of excluding the vast majority of the indigenous people from accessing quality education is to deprive human development by excluding them from knowledge and scientific/rational thinking, and this ploy creates the fertile ground to advance the rule of hegemony basing itself on mass illiteracy and ignorance ,

Recognise the fact that today the neo Brahmanism has colluded with the Neo-imperialism has brought draconian development policies (like SEZ, CMZ, all round privatisation) have further marginalised and excluded the historically disadvantaged communities, and imposed acute conditions of human existence (malnutrition, suicide and hunger deaths), livelihood crisis, deprived human development, forced migration, large scale displacement, etc have all resulted in shattered community life of vast majority of the indigenous people,

Recognising this form of vulgar development has opened the gate for restriction of development of people’s science, technology, art and literature and massively repressed individuals of all communities from the natural flow of healthy development but emerged as a source of Brahmanical version of capitalism, industry, trade, banking and all other branches of human life,

Analyse that clearly that the political hegemony of Brahmanism today has undermined the spirit of Socialism- being the core of our Constitution and enacted wholesale Privatisation blatantly denying the right of the vast majority of Indigenous Communities, from the access and control over the natural-common property resources and their rightful share in the country’s wealth (Land, Water, Forest, Coastal and Marine, mines and Minerals, Energy sources,) including Market,
Recall the struggles that innumerable leaders like Jyothiba Phule, Narayanguru, Ayothidas Pandithar, Periyar EVR, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Paditha.Ramabai, Rettamalai Srinivasan, have waged valiant struggles for the emancipation of the indigenous people of this country fighting the conspiracy of Brahmanism,

We, the undersigned unanimously consider these declaration vital keeping the future of our children at centre , Resolve to re-dedicate ourselves to take forward the struggle of the indigenous community to end all forms of domination, oppression, exploitation and achieve the human liberation and a life with dignity for all..

Posted by PVCHR at 1:57 AM

--
Dr. Lenin (Ashoka Fellow and 2007 Gwanju Human Rights Awardee)
Mobile:+91-9935599333
Please visit:
http://www.universalrights.net/heroes/display.php3?id=101
www.pvchr.org
www.youtube.com/pvchrindia
www.pvchr.blogspot.com
www.sapf.blogspot.com
www.antiwto.blogspot.com
www.rtfcup.blogspot.com
www.dalitwomen.blogspot.com
www.lenin-shruti.blogspot.com
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=51624734

My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on our side I do not see how we can loose our battle.. The battle to me is a matter of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. There is nothing material or social in it. For ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is battle for freedom. It is the battle of reclamation of human personality….
Dr. B.R.Ambedkar

Article on Weavers

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:27:00 +0000

From: PVCHR
Date: Oct 26, 2008
Subject: Article on Weavers
To: 518 International Solidarity

Author:
Prashant Bhagat

Varanasi is an ancient, famous and culturally rich district of Uttar Pradesh State of India.
Varanasi is also a holy city which rests on the banks of the Ganges, and home to banarasi saris (Indian dress that women wear) that are woven predominantly on hand looms.
They are woven by highly skilled weavers, and are considered some of the finest saris in India, made of finely woven silk and decorated with elaborate embroidery and engravings.
Because of these engravings, these saris are relatively heavy.
The tradition of weaving these saris is almost 800 years old, and they have been in demand for centuries from almost all parts of India.
During the Mughal rule, this art reached its zenith due to the amalgamation of the Indian and Persian design and creativity.
Even today the workers weaving these saris are predominantly Muslims.
The weaving of saris is a household industry, with members of the family including women and children playing vital supporting roles.
However during the past two decades, this art and industry have declined rapidly, leading to severe impoverishment of workers and their families to such an extent that children of these families are facing severe hunger and malnutrition.
Yet in the face of this, attempts have been made on the part of the weaving community to get organized in some sort of force to demand justice and their rightful place and respect in the Varanasi society.

* Structure and Character of Banarasi Sari Weaving Industry*

The full production process from raw material (including silk and other threads for embroidery) to a finished sari, includes an intricate web of many actors such as weavers, master weavers, raw material suppliers, designers (card makers), etc. It is widely believed that the whole structure
is fairly feudal in character, where a majority of workers toil to weave the saris and a minority few have total control of markets, raw materials and other resources. These privileged few also behave as 'masters' and exploit the weavers to the fullest.
The total number of workers and families working in this trade is not known exactly, as there has not been any effort to carry out a thorough survey.
However unofficial estimates by various voluntary organizations put the total number of workers at about 500,000, a majority of whom have received very little or no education.
Banarasi saris are predominantly woven on a handloom with silk threads.
The technology is quite ancient, and there has not been much technological innovation in this sector, although in the past few decades some of the weaving has also been done on power looms. The trade is predominantly controlled by 'Gaddidars' or the traders who have the access to raw
materials and the market, and who also sometimes own the looms.
The weavers usually fall into one of two categories. Some are self-employed, where they
own their own loom and purchase their own raw material, but have no access to the market and have to sell their produce through the trader.
Even the access to raw materials is controlled by the traders as weavers do not have enough money to buy the raw materials in bulk, and thus even the independent weavers end up working for the trader.
Alternatively, some weavers work as wage labourers at the looms owned by the traders.
In either case the weavers are at the mercy of the trader for their livelihood.
Weavers earn only 300 to 400 rupees (about US$9 to US$10) on a sari that may take even 15
days to complete, and the traders pay the money only when the sari is sold in the market. Traders often point out defects in the saris either in weaving or in the embroidery just in order to push down the price.
Faced with a desperate situation, the weavers often end up taking out loans or advances from
the traders and being in a kind of bonded relationship.

Some weavers are also members of a cooperative organization.
However, the majority of cooperatives are controlled by the traders themselves.
These cooperatives were set up by government to end the isolation of weavers from the market—on one hand providing them with easily accessible raw material, and on the other hand providing them with easy access to the market.

However, even this institution has been corrupted and is under the control of the traders themselves who now enjoy even access to more raw materials.

*Women and Children*

Women and children are exploited in this industry, yet remain invisible, and often unpaid. Women play an important role in all stages of sari preparation yet their contribution is hardly recognized.
Women often spin thread, cut thread and do important jobs that are often considered as secondary or menial.
The job is highly repetitive and they have to work sitting in uncomfortable positions for long hours sometimes even six to seven hours at once.
Women are generally not paid directly, as they help the men in the household.
If they are employed by the traders, they are only paid 10 to 15 rupees a day (about USD0.25). They are not allowed to sit on the looms as the general perception is that women cannot weave saris.
The intense exploitation of women is subsidizing the whole production of banarasi saris.
Their labour is adding value to the product yet it remains unpaid or poorly paid, and thus the cost of production remains low.
Children also help their family members make saris, and they also have to work for long hours in very tiring conditions.
Children are also sometimes employed for 'pattern making' and other small jobs which help to speed up the whole process. Children are also sometimes forced to work to pay back loans that their parents or family members may have taken out.

*Increasing poverty among weavers in Varanasi*

A variety of reasons is given for the decline of the weaving industry since the 1990s.
Some blame mechanization. Some criticize the quality of the saris.
Some cite other reasons like the WTO and competition from Chinese silk saris.
But no proper initiative was taken either by state or central governments to counter this decline. Traders, on the contrary, have continued to make profits, without paying much to the weavers who have ended up in a situation of utmost poverty and destitution.
Local media has also neglected the declining process. Over the course of a decade, the hand
weavers' situation has become very pitiful, and weavers have started committing suicide because of hunger and poverty.
From 2002 until today, about 100 weavers have committed suicide or died of hunger in
Varanasi, and a lot are suffering from lung diseases because of silk and cotton fibres.
Many are dying from these lung diseases, which are commonly diagnosed as tuberculosis.
The children of weavers are suffering from malnutrition and they are forced to work for their meals.
Many weavers are supplementing their meager weaving income with other work, such as driving cycle rickshaws.

This informal sector – characterized largely by household production units – has no culture of unions, or in other words they are working in a scattered way and have previously not come together under a common banner.
The Muslim section of the community does have community councils, which are involved in
settling their social problems.
But these councils cannot address the problem of the whole weaving industry because they are religion-based, and they are not political forums.

In India theoretically all citizens – including informal sector workers – are covered by the public health system.
But in practice, the public health system is like elephant's teeth: only for show, not for eating.
In Varanasi nobody gets proper benefits, unless they have political contacts or are willing to give bribes to get access to medical facilities in government hospitals.
Weavers and their families suffer greatly from lack of access to medical treatment for common problems such as lung diseases like tuberculosis.
Eighty per cent of weavers' children are underweight and suffer from many diseases.

* The formation of a weavers' union*

When the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), a membership-based organization, became aware of the suicide of a weaver in 2002 they were shocked because weavers had a reputation for relative prosperity.
A fact-finding team visited Varanasi to find the reasons behind the suicide.
During this fact-finding mission they interacted with the problems of weavers and the weaving industry.
The entire mohalla Baghwanala (one of the weavers' colonies) seemed like a 'ruined forest', meaning no-one could be heard laughing, and not a single face bore a smile.
About 50 percent of handlooms were not in working condition because of lack of raw materials and no new orders for new saris.
PVCHR realized that without uniting weavers under a common banner they could not do any fruitful things for them.
PVCHR called a core team together for discussing the weavers and their problems, and it was decided to intervene in their problems.
Nearly 500 weavers came in contact with PVCHR and they decided that they were in need of a union of weavers, which would struggle to revive the handloom industry and lobby the government for better social security for weavers.
Finally Bunkar Dastkaar Adhikaar Manch (BDAM, or Forum of Rights of Weavers and Artisans) was established in 2003 and they elected Mr. Siddique Hasan, a weaver, as Convener of this union.
BDAM is a membership-based union and it is facilitated by PVCHR.
The work of BDAM has included both organizing and advocacy.
BDAM uses a 'folkway' strategy, which means giving people a chance to speak about their
experience in their own way.
The role of PVCHR is organizing and documenting what people are talking about and how they are seeing their problems.
BDAM has three primary focus issues: right to health, right to food and revival of the handloom industry.

*Health problems*

Almost all sari workers suffer from some kind of ailment owing to the very poor working conditions.
The looms are often in cluttered places with poor ventilation, and workplaces are very dusty. Weavers and their families often suffer from respiratory ailments from breathing in the dust and fine yarn from the fabric, as well as range of health ailments owing to the lack of nutritious food and excessive workload.
Children are suffering from malnutrition.
In light of the failure of the public health system, BDAM and PVCHR have been lobbying the government for improvements.
In the last three years, BDAM and PVCHR organized people's tribunals on three occasions, where weavers' stories and opinions could be heard. PVCHR also approached the Planning
Commission of India many times and as a result of this lobbying, the government approved a health insurance plan for weavers.
Under this scheme, the health expenses of weavers and their families, including husband,
wife and up to two children, are covered both in public as well as some designated private hospitals (capped at 15,000 rupees, or approximately US$350, annually).
This insurance scheme is implemented by the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI Bank).
Every weaver contributes 200 rupees annually, and for every weaver an additional 902 rupees is contributed by the Indian Government.
This is an achievement of PVCHR and BDAM. But unfortunately, like other government schemes, this also went into the jaw of corruption.
Instead of getting benefits from it, weavers have had to struggle through BDAM for fair and honest implementation of the scheme.
The most common misuse is that insurance cards of weavers were issued to some other persons who take benefits from the medical insurance.
Meanwhile poor weavers did not get the insurance cards nor the health care they were promised.
The formation of the BDAM union has helped to expose the cases of corruption and maladministration, and many of the weavers managed to get their insurance card after struggle.

* Right to food*

Due to the decline of the hand weaving industry, weavers are facing serious poverty and food crises.
India has a Public Distribution System (PDS) – characteristic of its socialistic policies of the past (ironically the official name of India is the Socialist Republic of India).
In the past, the majority of the public would have access to subsidized food distributed via
the PDS.
However, since the 1990s with the neoliberal reforms, much of the PDS crumbled to the 'market forces' and the 'Ration Card' that was issued to all families to access the PDS has now become more like an identification card and is used only for administrative purposes.
However, in the case of many impoverished communities, the government issues special Ration
Cards by which they can have access to subsidized food.
This allows poor communities to access basic food stuff at very low price.
Weavers are also identified in this category, and on paper can have access to this subsidized food.
However, in reality it is different, because corruption in the PDS system ensures that the eligible weavers are not provided with the 'Ration Card' and they and their families continue to suffer from hunger.
Instead, fake Ration Cards are provided to people who do not deserve one.
BDAM is trying its best to ensure the food rights of weavers, through monitoring and taking steps against corruption by writing petitions and filing complaints.
When members became aware of this corruption, they staged a demonstration at the district headquarters of Varanasi, with bread in their hands.
After the demonstration, they started collecting data and stories of individuals who were suffering from hunger.
They sent these stories to all relevant authorities, media persons and members of
Parliament and legislative councils.
It created a discourse in the world of intellectuals and government, which mobilized the government to start doing surveys and providing rations cards.

*Struggle to preserve weavers' culture and livelihood*

If state government and central government do not come together to support the revival of the hand loom industry, then in the coming decade there may not be a single man or woman in Varanasi remaining engaged in weaving.
Weaving is a culture and it has also been a means of livelihood for weavers for centuries. Weavers are artists who are making unique designs that are unmatchable, and there are is still no modern technology which will make saris similar to them.
However weavers and their children are dying of hunger and those artists whose hands are accustomed to making antique saris are committing suicide.
What kind of irony is this?
These weavers develop their own unique design according to their local ways, and likewise they developed their way of struggling, rather than following the way of any other trade union or political party.
Why do they look very different while protesting, demonstrating, or giving memorandums to
governments? After spending two years with them I realized that it is because of their identity as weavers.
They are not Muslims, and on the other hand they are not Hindu either.
They are weavers, and weaving is a culture.
It is not a religion, like some other fronts of social struggle.
The central issue here is their culture, as well as an occupation and means of livelihood.
When the culture of weaving is dying, how will the workers doing the weaving survive? How a community can survive without its culture?
That must be like life in a vacuum.
It means a land of uncultured people, who have to pass the tunnel of civilization again, in order to be part and parcel of this mainstream, so-called civilized society.

--
Dr. Lenin (Ashoka Fellow and 2007 Gwanju Human Rights Awardee)
Mobile:+91-9935599333
Please visit:
http://www.universalrights.net/heroes/display.php3?id=101
www.pvchr.org
www.youtube.com/pvchrindia
www.pvchr.blogspot.com
www.sapf.blogspot.com
www.antiwto.blogspot.com
www.rtfcup.blogspot.com
www.dalitwomen.blogspot.com
www.lenin-shruti.blogspot.com
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=51624734

My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize;
Have faith in yourself.
With justice on our side I do not see how we can loose our battle.
The battle to me is a matter of joy.
The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual.
There is nothing material or social in it.
For ours is a battle not for wealth or for power.
It is battle for freedom.
It is the battle of reclamation of human personality.
Dr. B.R.Ambedkar

Long battle for Suu Kyi - Editorial

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:25:00 +0000

From: CHAN Beng Seng
Date: 2008/10/27
Subject: [ReadingRoom] News on Burma - 27/10/08

Long battle for Suu Kyi - Editorial
The Nation (Thailand): Thu 23 Oct 2008

Today, Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will have been incarcerated for 13 years. The more the appeals for her release - from the United Nations, Asean and numerous world leaders - the more the Rangoon junta leaders harden their resolve not to let her free.

Why? They have learned that in the real world, nobody really cares about others. They do so for a period of time, but not all the time. It has been extremely unfortunate for the people of Burma and Suu Kyi since 1988. Whenever the international community came together, something happened that diverted attention away from Burma.

When Cyclone Nargis hit Burma in early May, the world's sympathy immediately and readily poured into Burma to help the people. Suddenly, the atrocities of the armed soldiers against protesting monks and the ordinary people were pushed to the back burner. Of course, the junta leaders have benefited from the influx of financial aid as never before seen. They have not changed a thing and seriously they do not need to. Obviously, international humanitarian organisations have used the Burmese crisis for their own benefit.

The Western world and international organisations automatically dropped their hardline criteria because they wanted to help the cyclone-affected Burmese people. Earlier Burma's recalcitrance to allow foreign relief and rescue teams caused additional deaths. Now, nobody is talking about political reforms and ongoing political suppression. International organisations are happy because they have earned a name for themselves by helping the poor Burmese. They said more aid should be channelled to the junta leaders and their organisations because they will learn how to deal with foreign assistance. Never mind if they have benefited from all the assistance. After all, the Burmese people will get direct help. The problem is, the junta has not given anything away that could facilitate national reconciliation and dialogue.

Apparently, the junta leaders are very confident that their sevenpoint road map will serve as the main instrument to eventually establish their legitimacy. Come 2010, it will be a fait accompli. The ongoing global financial crisis will take the focus away from Burma. UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon believes that he can influence junta leader General Than Shwe to free Suu Kyi because he has made a good impression on the general. He is scheduled to visit Rangoon on December 19 after the AseanUN summit in Bangkok. Ban should not risk his reputation and that of the UN by such an endeavour. The UN's special envoy on Burma, Ismail Gambari, needs to improve his performance. He has yet to facilitate or bridge the gap between the junta and the opposition.

From the regional point of view, it is a win-win strategy for Burma. Just look at Thailand, which is in the political doldrums. As long as the Asean chair is in perpetual chaos, it cannot raise the Burma issue because it would be a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Indeed, it was fortunate that Singapore was the Asean chair last year during the Saffron Revolution because the island republic could issue a strong statement condemning the junta's heavy use of arms against protesters.

At this juncture, it seems that Western countries as well as Asean are sharing similar assessments - that the Burmese regime is very strong and its grip on power and the people is absolute. Nothing can be done about it. The best way is to work with the junta and take part in its political schemes. Conventional wisdom believes this is the best way because the regime might crack. Refusing to take part in the political process would immediately cut off future bargaining chips that the opposition or democracyloving people have.

It is heartrending to look into the future of Burma, knowing full well the political hypocrisy and vanity surrounding this issue. One can only hope that Suu Kyi will remain strong and robust and in good spirit. This is going to be a long battle.

NGO: Stop oil, gas search in Argao

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:00:00 +0000

From: FIDEC INC.
Date: Thu, Oct 23, 2008
Subject: NGO: Stop oil, gas search in Argao

NGO: Stop oil, gas search in Argao

By Ma. Bernadette A. Parco
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 08:51:00 10/23/2008

A fact-finding monitoring team composed of non-government organizations (NGO) from Asian countries called on the national government to end oil exploration activities in the Visayas.

In their manifesto, the Mining Network and Oil Watch-Southeast Asia said they denounce the "unconstitutionality of the oil and gas exploration activities" in Central Visayas as experienced by the affected fisherfolks and their families.

Convenor Andry Wijaya said fisherfolks and their families were displaced as a result of the offshore drilling.

"Their children no longer go to school as a result of the reduced fish catch," he said.

The team announced the results of a study co-sponsored by the Pesticide Action Network in Asia and the Pacific (PAN-AP) and the Fisherfolks Development Center (Fidec).

He also scored the failure or refusal of the government agencies to enforce the law.

The study done in the Cebu towns of Pinamungajan, Aloguinsan, Argao and Sibonga centered on the effects of offshore mining done by Japex Philippines Inc. on Tañon Strait and NorAsian at the Cebu-Bohol Strait.

Fidec director Vince Cinches said the fisherfolk in Pinamungajan and Aloguinsan towns told the team that their fish catch didn't improve even after Japex left the area.

He said the fishermen only catch one to two kilos of fish per day, a sharp drop from the 15 to 20 kilos caught per day prior to the seismic survey and drilling operations in 2005 and 2007.

Argao fisherfolk also reported a decrease in fish yield due to the oil exploration activities of NorAsian Energy Ltd. at the Cebu-Bohol Strait, Cinches added.

Regional Director Antonio Labios of the Department of Energy in Central Visayas (DOE-7) said the agency is validating the claims of fisherfolk that their livelihood is affected by the NorAsian oil exploration activities.

"Fish catch, according to the fishermen, is also affected by the season. The decrease in fish yield could also be permanent or temporary. We have to find that out," he told reporters yesterday.

"We would get baseline data from the municipal fisheries and the BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources)," Labios said.

Labios said the target of the project is Argao town and that the agency already secured approval from 11 out of 14 barangays in the town.

Labios also admitted that there was no public consultation conducted on the NorAsian project.

"Oil exploration is not yet covered by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system, so there is no consultation required (for the activity)," the regional DOE-7 director said.

--
Vince Aureflor A. Cinches
Executive Director
FIDEC Inc.
Mobile: +63 905 2624 123
Telefax: +63 32 2561365
Email: cvfidec@gmail.com
Blogsite: http://fidec.blogspot.com/
Skype: vince.cinches

New Report Reveals the Other Side of Post-Nargis Joint Assessment Report (PONJA)

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:20:00 +0000

From: Burma Partnership
Date: Thu, Oct 16, 2008
Subject: Press Release on New Report Launch*

For Immediate Release:

16 October 2008

Burma Partnership - National Press Club of Indonesia - AIPMC

Media Contacts:
Ko Shwe (KESAN) +66 890107015
Khin Ohmar (

Burma

Partnership) +62 811 893 126 (INA #)
Imelda Sari (NPCI) +62 811 971930

(Jakarta, Indonesia) Today a report entitled “Post-Nargis Analysis: The Other Side of the Story” was launched by nineteen of Burma’s civil society organizations. The report reveals cases of aid obstruction, human rights abuses, intimidation, and corruption that have occurred in the cyclone-hit region. The post-Nargis analysis report is released today (10/16) in Jakarta because Indonesia holds a key position within both the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations Security Council, and is the host country of the ASEAN Secretariat.

“When we studied the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) report prepared by the UN, ASEAN and the Burmese regime, we realized that it failed to describe the obstruction of aid and human rights abuses committed by the military regime in the areas affected by the cyclone. So, as independent civil society organizations, we felt the need to tell the other side of the post-Nargis story by producing this report,” said Ko Shwe, one of the primary sources for the report and a Karen environmental activist who visited the delta in the aftermath of the cyclone.

The report stresses that the description in the PONJA report distorts the nature of the response by the military regime. Furthermore, the report claims that the PONJA report omits reference to cases of human rights abuses, intimidation, and corruption that have occurred in the cyclone-hit region.

It recommends that information on aid distribution and the PONJA report be made available to the public in local language, and an independent system be put in place to monitor and evaluate aid distribution to ensure that the assistance is being provided fairly and effectively within Burma. It also suggests that all parties involved in relief efforts for the cyclone victims, including governments, financial institutions, and international NGOs, maintain maximum transparency and provide public information regarding their activities by adhering to the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters.

“Given the limited access to independent information under the regime’s censorship, we believe our input and recommendations offer a crucial substantive contribution to the post-Nargis recovery,” said Khin Ohmar, Coordinator of Burma Partnership.

The report also urges the international community to consider having independent civil society groups as additional counterparts in the post-Nargis assessment and recovery implementation processes.

The Post-Nargis Analysis report delegation consists of Kraisak Choonhavan, the President of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) and a Thai Member of Parliament; Khin Ohmar, Burma Partnership Coordinator; and Yuki Akimoto, Director of the Burma Information Network (BurmaInfo). The press conference to release the “Post-Nargis Analysis: The Other Side of the Story” was hosted by the Burma Partnership and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, together with the National Press Club of Indonesia.

Karen Environment and Social Action Network (KESAN)

KESAN is a local organization working alongside local communities in Karen State, Burma, to build up capacities in nature resource management, raise public environmental awareness and support community-based development initiatives.

Tel: +66 890107015

Burma Partnership

Burma Partnership is a movement of organizations and individuals that aims to develop a strong broad-based partnership of peoples of the Asia-Pacific advocating and mobilizing a movement for promoting freedom, democracy and human rights in Burma.

Tel: +66 1 884 0772, +66 1 466 5406

E-mail: partnership@csloxinfo.com, apppb.blogspot.com

ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus

18-2 Commercial Centre, Taman Adabi Indah,

Off Jalan Klang Lama, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel +603-7984 7318, +603-7980 1393

Fax +603-7983 7318, +603-7981 7782

E-mail: info@aseanmp.org, www.aseanmp.org

National Press Club of Indonesia

Gedung Ariobimo Sentral Lantai 4

Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav X-2 No 5, Jakarta 12950

Tel: +62 21 529 09152

Fax: +62 21 2525750

Email: npci_08@yahoo.com

###

Post-Nargis Analysis – The Other Side of the Story

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:30:00 +0000

From: Burma Partnership
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2008
Subject: Media Advisory*

Press Conference:
"Post-Nargis Analysis – The Other Side of the Story"
Lotus 3 & 4 room, Hotel Intercontinental Mid plaza Jakarta
14:30 – 16:30
October 16, 2008

Jakarta, 14 October 2008 – The Burma Partnership, ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus and National Press Club of Indonesia will host the release of Post-Nargis Analysis report to respond to the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) Report. The press conference event will be held on Thursday, 16 October 2008 at Hotel Intercontinental Midplaza Jakarta, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav 10-11 from 14:30 -16:30 WIB. The Secretary General of ASEAN Dr Surin Pitsuwan will attend the press conference and officially receive the Post-Nargis Analysis report from Dr. Sann Aung, of the Members of Parliament Union (MPU) and Prime Minister's Office Minister (PMO-East) following a presentation of the report by Ko Shwe, a young Burmese activist from the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) and an independent journalist. A discussion on 'Post-Nargis Analysis-The Other Side of the Story' will follow with additional speakers from Burma and Thailand: Khin Ohmar, Burma Partnership Coordinator; and Kraisak Choonhavan, the President of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) and a Thai Member of Parliament.

The Post-Nargis Analysis report was compiled and written by Yuki Akimoto, Director of the Burma Information Network (BurmaInfo). The report came as a result of a workshop organized by the project Another Development for Burma in August-September 2008 in which a number of civil society organizations discussed the role of international financial institutions in Burma in general and in the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment process. The report is created to respond to the PONJA Report compiled by the Tripartite Core Group which consists of the ASEAN, Burma's military regime and UN. The PONJA report was launched during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Singapore on 20-21 July, 2008. The Post-Nargis Analysis report explores the obstructions to aid and human rights abuses committed by the Burmese military regime and corruption that have occurred in the cyclone-hit region. The Burma Partnership and other civil society organizations who had been observing throughout the relief phase felt the need to tell the other side of the story by producing this report.

Members of the media are invited to this event; special interviews separate from this event are also possible. Please contact Mira Maruto to set the interview schedule.

For further information please contact:

Khin Ohmar (Burma Partnership)
Mobile : +6681 884 0772 (Thai Number)
+62 811 893 126 (Indonesia Number)

Mira Maruto
Mobile: +62 819 705 998/021 3921617
E-mail: mmaruto@ndi.org

Imelda Sari (NPCI)
Mobile: +62 811 971930
E-mail: npci_08@yahoo.com

Where would Burma be without Suu Kyi?

noreply@blogger.com (May 18 Memorial Foundation) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:59:00 +0000

from: CHAN Beng Seng
to: 21
date: Thu, Oct 9, 2008
subject: [ReadingRoom] News on Burma - 9/10/08

Where would Burma be without Suu Kyi?
by. Kyaw Zwa Moe

Irrawaddy: Fri 3 Oct 2008

Let's imagine a situation: Burma without Aung San Suu Kyi. Undoubtedly, the ruling generals would see this as a dream come true. But for the majority of Burmese, it would come as a great disappointment to lose the leader of the country's pro-democracy movement.

Suu Kyi may be a prisoner, but she still has immense power. She strikes fear into the hearts of heavily armed men, while giving moral strength to the powerless. She is the hope of the people of Burma, who have struggled to survive under the boot of their military rulers for the past 46 years.

Her recent refusal to receive food deliveries raised serious concerns about her health and worries about the country's future without her.

According to her lawyer and her doctor-the only two people who were able to meet her during her month-long ordeal, which began in mid-August-Suu Kyi's protest against her continued unlawful detention had left her thin and malnourished.

It was the first time in two decades that Suu Kyi had subjected herself to a hunger strike. Soon after beginning her first period of house arrest in 1989, she refused food and demanded to be placed in prison alongside her colleagues. After several weeks, she won guarantees that her fellow pro-democracy activists would not be tortured, and ended her protest. Her weight had dropped from 48 kg (106 lbs) to just 40 kg (90 lbs), and she suffered hair loss, impaired vision and a weakened immune system.

At the time, Suu Kyi was still in her early forties. Now she is in her sixties, and the impact on her health has presumably been much greater, even if she merely restricted her intake of food to the barest requirements for survival.

What would happen if Suu Kyi died or became so unhealthy that she couldn't continue her role as the political leader of Burma's pro-democracy movement? It is something we need to ask in light of the fact that she has spent 13 of the past 19 years under house arrest, without regular access to proper medical treatment and under immense psychological pressure.

Most people would prefer not to think of Burma's future without Suu Kyi. Her absence from politics would probably be a death blow to the already weakened democracy struggle, because she has no obvious successor as leader of the movement.

On the other hand, the ruling generals would probably see Suu Kyi's demise as an end to an era of trouble. After all, she is even now regarded as a threat to their hold on power.

From the generals' viewpoint, there are many reasons to believe that the future without Suu Kyi would be very bright indeed. For one thing, they would not have to fear a repeat of the non-violent confrontation that she initiated in early 1989, when she called on people to resist unlawful decrees imposed by the junta. The movement continued for months, until July 19, when the regime used an overwhelming show of force to stop a planned Martyrs' Day march. The next day, Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for the first time.

Another reason the generals would be happy to see the back of Suu Kyi is that it would probably mean no more electoral upsets like the one the world witnessed in 1990. Despite the regime's efforts to ensure a victory for the pro-junta party, Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy inflicted a stunning defeat, winning more than 80 percent of seats in parliament. It was Suu Kyi who urged her party to contest the election, despite the fact that she was still under house arrest at the time and not permitted to participate herself. Even within the confines of her home, she showed the generals that she could make life difficult for them.

It was also Suu Kyi who called for a boycott of the National Convention in 1995. She made this decision a few months after being released from six years of house arrest because she deemed the convention convened to draft a new constitution as undemocratic. The generals have never forgiven her for continuing to resist their plans even after they were good enough to give her back her freedom.

In 1998, Suu Kyi once again proved to be a thorn in the side of the generals. That was the year she spearheaded the creation of the Committee Representing the People's Parliament, a body that directly challenged the junta's right to rule. The generals wasted no time in arresting members of the newly formed group.

Since then, Suu Kyi has enjoyed a few brief interludes of relative freedom. Each time, she demonstrated that her immense appeal was in no way diminished by her long absence from the public eye. She campaigned around the country, drawing crowds of thousands eager to hear her speak. Her engaging and courageous speeches inspired hope in the hearts of countless ordinary Burmese-and intense anger among the country's military rulers, who watched her every move and did everything they could to keep her away from her adoring audiences.

All of these episodes have only served to convince the generals that they need to keep her on a tight rein if they want to carry through their agenda. Last year, they finally succeeded in completing their constitution, which they will use to usher in a new era of military-dominated "democracy" that excludes a democratic opposition. It is doubtful that they would have been able to achieve this long-pursued goal if they hadn't kept Suu Kyi confined within the walls of her residential compound for the past five years.

Suu Kyi's reputation as a troublemaker within the military government's ruling circles has earned her a further-illegal-extension of her current period of house arrest. Although she should have been released in May under Section 10 (b) of the State Protection Act, which only allows for a maximum sentence of five years, she is still in detention.

The regime is now preparing for the next stage in its transition to quasi-civilian rule-the 2010 election, which is intended to undo the damage of the 1990 vote. But in order to reverse the tide of history, the generals know that Suu Kyi must remain detained and silenced.

If Suu Kyi's health were to fail prior to the election, it would probably deliver the regime the victory that has eluded it for the past two decades. Her death would not spell the end of the democracy movement, but it would leave it greatly weakened.

Although Suu Kyi has spent most of the past two decades almost completely cut off from the outside world, she is still Burma's single greatest hope for democratic change. She is also a leader who is widely trusted by people of every ethnicity in Burma, and one who is respected by the international community, which will have a major role to play in helping to restore the country's economy.

She has the rare ability to speak to the generals in a straightforward, unflinching manner. Indeed, her power derives almost entirely from what she calls "plain honesty in politics." Her courage, dedication and steadfast adherence to the truth have empowered her to speak for the people of Burma in a way that no one else can at this point in the country's history.

After 46 years under military rule, Burma is very lucky to have someone who can still command such immense power through the sheer force of her convictions. Without her, life would go on, but the country would be impoverished in a way that makes even its current circumstances seem tolerable by comparison.

[BurmaSolidarity] Please kindly sign the petition for freedom of burma

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:45:00 +0000

from: Burma Centre Delhi (BCD)
to: Burma Solidarity
date: Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 10:46 PM
subject: [BurmaSolidarity] Please kindly sign the petition for freedom of burma

Dear All,

One year after "2007 Saffron Revolution" led by Buddhist monks, who were at the forefront of the demonstrations against military dictatorship in Burma, leaders of the bare-foot monks and democracy activists are behind bars facing injustice.

We cannot ignore the lives of people scarified in 1988 mass uprising when more than 3000 people were gunned down, we cannot forget 2007 Saffron revolution when soldiers and riot police beaten and opened fire on Buddhist monks and peaceful demonstrators and we cannot close the eyes to the suffering of the heroes of Burma who are now in prisons and who were in prisons sacrifice their lives, faced torture and brutal treatment in order to show their aspiration for democracy.

A tremendous responsibility rests upon the United Nations Organisation to a far better end, and we are looking for a more positive and bolder lead of the United Nations as military regime is trying to nullify the results of the 1990 elections result by planning to hold another election in 2010.

Burmese people show their destiny, their will and sacrifice their lives already. United Nations must step up further in order to solve Burma crisis and actions needed to be taken practically focusing on to implement 1990 Elections result. The solution for the crisis of Burma is to recognize 1990 election result to restore democracy and rule of law where everyone can enjoy the freedom of speech, press, beliefs and assembly that emphasizes the protection of individual rights.

Burma Democratic Concern launched the Global online petition to implement 1990 Elections result in Burma . Please check this link to sign the petition.(Everyone can sign the petition)

http://www.gopetition.com/online/22158.html

Please kindly sign this petition and spread as much as you can to show our unity and genuine desire.Your participation and your single signature means a lot to the freedom of Burma.Thanks.

Shin min oo

secretary

Burma Democratic Concern

http://www.bdcburma.org

------------------------------

BURMA CENTRE DELHI (BCD) c/o X- 6,
First Floor Green Park Main New Delhi - 110016 Telefax: +
91-11-26511207 Burma Centre Delhi (BCD) is a non-profit and
non-partisan organization formed in August 2008 with the aim to restore
peace, justice, democracy and human rights in Burma.

Invitation: 1st Anniversary of Saffron Revolution in Burma on 27th September 2008

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:30:00 +0000

from: Burma Centre Delhi (BCD)
to: Burma Solidarity
date: Thu, Sep 25, 2008 at 1:31 PM

subject: [BurmaSolidarity] Invitation: 1st Anniversary of Saffron Revolution in Burma on 27th September 2008

Dear friends,

The 1^st Anniversary to commemorate the Saffron Revolution in Burma is being organized worldwide under the banner of the Sasana Moli International Burmese Monks Association on 27^th September 2008.

As you are aware, last year, when a peaceful nationwide protest was courageously staged by Burmese Buddhist monks, they were brutally crackdown by the military regime. Many monks, students and civilians were killed, arrested and tortured.

On this day, the Sasana Moli International Burmese Monks Association would like to honour all those who sacrificed their lives during the Saffron Revolution and remind the people of Burma and world that the official ex-communication campaign is still valid.

In Delhi, on this day, the India branch of the Sasana Moli International Burmese Monks Association will organize a peaceful march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar.

We invite you to join us at the march. We urge you to show your solidarity and support to the people of Burma struggling against the repressive regime; struggling to have a life of dignity and basic human rights.

Date : 27th September 2008 (Saturday)

Time : 11 am

Venue : Mandi House to Jantar Mantar (New Delhi)

Organized by:

The Sasana Moli International Burmese Monks Association (India)

Contact Person:

U Aemon (Monk) : 9810-807592

Mr. Htun Htun : 9891-280954

------------------------------

BURMA CENTRE DELHI (BCD)
c/o X- 6, First Floor
Green Park Main
New Delhi - 110016
Telefax: + 91-11-26511207

Burma Centre Delhi (BCD) is a non-profit and non-partisan organization formed in August 2008 with the aim to restore peace, justice, democracy and human rights in Burma.

Sharmila remanded to judicial custody

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:30:00 +0000

Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 18: Human rights crusader Irom Chanu Sharmila has been remanded to judicial custody till October 1 after she was produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) at Lamphelpat yesterday.

read more:
http://twurl.nl/zoh1tf

50 years of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:45:00 +0000

Press Release

Embargo Date: 11 Sept’ 2008
New Delhi

Violence of the Invisible 9/11
50 years of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act

On 22^nd May 1958, the Government of India promulgated an ordinance called the Armed Forces Special Powers Ordinance to meet the challenges of an extraordinary situation arising out of the assertions of the Naga tribes in the then Naga Hills of Assam and parts of the then North Eastern Frontier Agency (NEFA). This ordinance was a copy from a similar ordinance promulgated by the colonial British on 15 August 1942 to suppress the uprising of Quit India Movement. It gave extraordinary powers to the members of the armed forces, such as arrest without warrant and shoot to kill on the basis of suspicion. The Parliament subsequently converted this ordinance, which was brought in as a temporary measure, into an Act on 18 August 1958, and the President gave his assent on 11 September 1958.

Thus, the unlashing of state’s violent power, or as some called State terrorism, that began on 22^nd May 1958 was retrospectively reaffirmed on that fateful 9/11 as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act began its journey as a permanent instrument to treat the people of North East differently and violently. While the people of Punjab had the taste of the Act very briefly in 1980s, the people of Kashmir have been subjected under the same Act since 1990. But its first and real target, the people of the North East have been reeling under the violence and impunity of the Act continuously for the last 50 years.

While the two MPs from Manipur opposed the Act in the Parliament in 1958 itself, various organizations and individual persons had also challenged the legal and constitutional validity of the Act since the 1980s. However, after sitting over those petitions for almost 15 years, the Supreme Court took up a litigation by NPMHR, and after suggesting that the disturbed condition where the Act has been enforced is not due to arm rebellion and that it does not constitute a threat to the national security; it upheld the constitutional validity of the Act in 1997.

The numerous acts of human rights abuses under the Act came into the fore again in the gruesome murder of a young woman, Manorama by the security forces operating under the Act in 2004. The people of Manipur rose up not only against the murder but also against the Act, which was joined by various civil liberty organizations and concerned citizens from across the country and world. Ultimately, the PMO was compelled to institute the Reddy Committee to look into the matter and explore the possibility of substituting the AFSPA with a “more humane” Act. The Committee submitted its report on 6 June 2005 and recommended that the Act be repealed. Similarly the Administrative Reform Committee headed by Veerapan Molly also recommended the Act to be repealed on 25 June 2007. In February 2007 the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has called upon the Indian Government to ensure an immediate repeal of AFSPA. So far, leave alone repealing the Act, the Government has not even made the Jeevan Committee report public, though the Hindu has already leaked out the report.

Providing lip service to democracy and displaying deep rooted prejudices, many continue to encourage and defend the violence of the Act. As a result the people continue to suffer under it. While the struggle, including that of Sharmila who has been on fast for years, against the Act also continues, it is pertinent for us to reflect on what and why of this Armed Forces Special Powers Act in order to strengthen the struggle against this Act and its politics. Thus, we are organizing a Peace Protest rally from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar on the violence of the Invisible 9/11 at 1 pm on 11^th Sept 2008 as a way to remind ourselves of the 50^th year of its becoming a law on 11^th Sept’ 1958 when the President of India gave his assent. As part of the memorandum we will be delivering 50 coffins addressed to the President of India.

Issued by: AISA, Asha Parivar, The Othermedia, NAPM, Jagrati Mahila Sangathan, INSAF, Reachout, Human Right Alert, JMI Students and FDI
Contacts: +91-9818781767, +91-9871880686, +91-9313106745, +91-9868280198

PICTURES

2008 Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School Videos

peterahon@gmail.com (Pete Erlano Rahon) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:47:00 +0000

My Reflection of the 2008 Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School

ria.snb@gmail.com (gregoria barbarica) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:28:00 +0000

On August 11-28, 2008 the May 18 Memorial Foundation organized the 2008 Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School (the 2008 GAHRFS). The venue was in Chosun University.
There were 23 participants from 12 countries in Asia, they were: Afghanistan (1), Bangladesh (2), Cambodia (2), Indonesia (2), India (2), Malaysia (1), Nepal (2), Pakistan (1), Philippines (4), Sri Lanka (2), Taiwan (2), and Thailand (2).
Participants were divided into 3 levels: Senior members (4), Middle managers (9), and Junior staff (10). For Senior members they had presentation for Middle managers and Junior staff. The programs for the senior members also finished on August 28, 2008, while both the Junior staff and Middle managers stayed from August 11-23, 2008.
Joining the 2008 Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School I gained and learned a lot of things.
I have met, known, learned, and shared knowledge, experiences, and culture with participants. We spent a lot of time together. From the lectures in class, I learn a lot about Korean democratization, and also democracy, human rights, and peace situation in Asia. Aside from the materials of lecturers, I also learned about how to give a good presentation in the class and other technical works.
Korean history focused on May 18 Democratic Uprising was a good example for us as human rights activists and defenders of human rights. It showed how the people in Gwangju in 1980 struggled to fight for democracy. All people included man and woman, students and workers, and from all groups gathered in Geunamno street. All united and helped one another. Until now, the spirit of 1980 is memorialized and keep growing on the hearts of Gwangju people.
I had some good points from some lecturers, there were:
1. To reach the target or wish, it needs patient and resoluteness. Professor Georgy Katsiaficas in his class he said that the longer time you struggle for democracy, the better product it will have.
2. As activists and human rights defenders, we don’t have to always arraign of things from other people, but it is start from our self first. How we can build our self as a good person and always with the awareness of our circles.
3. Culture and candle light demonstration are good way for expression of our felings. Demonstrations should not always be about street and violence. Peaceful rallies will involve all class or groups like students, children, etc.
4. Korean women movement were very strong, especially nowadays. Their struggle is a good example for every woman in the world.
From participants, I learned a lot about the situation of democracy, human rights, and peace situation in Asia. Especially when they had presentation about their countries situation. They were really eager for learn and share. Participants also had good sense of camaraderie, just a few days of meeting but solidarity and cooperation among them were already strong.
I also had good times with other participants during sport time, field trip to some historical places, home stay with Korean family, and picnic in the last day. During sport time, we had games. It was really fun and enjoyable. I had chance to join home stay for one day, we went to some traditional places and also joined the candle lights demonstration at Civil Park. In the last day, we had picnic to Boseong tea plantation and the beach. We stayed one night and had cultural night. In the cultural night, participants presented their cultural dance, songs, games, etc.
Some of the presentations were boring, because the lecturer just talked and sometimes their voice and articulation were not clear at the back of the class. From lecturers, I learned how to make a good environment in the class when we have presentation. From the beginning we already start by question-answer with participants. It will make discussion continuing. It more better also if we mergered theory with example in real life, and also put some pictures or videos. In class, mostly the discussions time were just a few. It would be more better to have a lot of time for sharing and discussion.
During the 2008 GAHRFS I made good relation and cooperation with my team (Culture and Solidarity Team). We learn and completemented each other. Every events since the 2008 Gwangju International Peace Forum, the 2008 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, and other events, we always gained something even in happy and bad times.
As an International Intern at the May 18 Memorial Foundation, I helped some works related to the program. As a host, I learn a lot how we can organize and coordinate the program. How we must prepare anything earlier. The important is communication between host and to participants. As a host we also must respect and understand different cultures of participants.
The 2008 Gwangju Asian Human Rights was a good event for activists and human rights defenders in Asia. In this event they meet, learn, and share their knowledge, experiences, and culture. Their communications were not finish after the event, but with internet world they still can meet, learn, and share with each other. With this event, they made a new network for democracy, human rights, and peace in Asia and also in the world.

By. Gregoria Barbarica Kristina Ritasari
International Intern
August 29, 2008

links:
http://www.518.org/
http://www.518interns.blogspot.com/