[asia-apec 780] RAPPA Women's Forum Nov.8 &9

[Elsie Dean]

From: Second International Women's Conference Against APEC Vancouver British
Columbia Canada
Would like to know if the Organizing Committee for the Women's Conference on
Nov. 8 & 9 received our fax and our e-mails re the conference. Look forward
to a reply.  Thank you, Elsie Dean
-----Original Message-----
From: appasec <appasec at tm.net.my>
To: asia-apec listserve <asia-apec at jca.ax.apc.org>
Date: Friday, October 09, 1998 7:09 AM
Subject: [asia-apec 771] Latest on APPA


>Dear friends,
>
>The national organising committee of the Asia Pacific Peoples’ Assembly
(APPA), would like to inform all those interested to participate in this
year’s peoples assembly, that preparations for APPA are well under way and
that APPA will go on as planned, regardless of the recent political
developments in our country.
>
>This decision was reached at our last working committee meeting, fully
realising the enormous challenge ahead of us as we prepare ourselves to host
APPA. APPA will now be convened amidst a worsening economic crisis and
growing political tension in Malaysia. The sacking and subsequent detention
of former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has thrown Malaysia into
political turmoil, as the ruling coalition tries desperately to redeem its
legitimacy and the people’s confidence it so often boasted about.
>
>The Anwar Ibrahim incident has brought to the forefront many fundamental
issues of injustice and democracy in our current system of administration.
The little democratic space allowed by the dictatorial rule of Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has been further tightened. The police have
unfailingly taken to force and brutal actions in their efforts to disperse
gatherings in support of Anwar Ibrahim, and have declared a ban on ‘illegal’
gatherings, (gatherings without police approval). As you may have already
heard, our fellow labour and human rights activist, Tian Chua, from the
Labour Resource Centre, was also arrested in a demonstration, and was
beaten, punched and kicked while in the police truck and lock up of a local
police station.
>
>Anwar Ibrahim’s trial has been fixed for November 2-14, clashing almost
fully with the dates of APPA . While many feel that APPA will not even be
given the chance to go ahead, given these developments, we are confident
that the international spotlight on Malaysia during this time, will in many
ways force the authorities to allow APPA to go on as planned, albeit with
certain conditions. After all, Mahathir himself was quoted to have given his
blessings to the Peoples’ Summit when attending the APEC Leaders meeting in
Vancouver last year.
>
>With such backdrop, the convening of APPA will add a new page in the
history of Malaysian people’s struggle for justice and democracy. Thus it is
crusial that our intetrnational friends attend APPA in order to forge
solidarity with the Malaysian people. With our joint effort, APPA will mark
the success of regional solidarity against the despotism of globalisation.
>
>We hope to have your presence at the Peoples’ Assembly this year. So, see
you in November!!
>
>In solidarity
>
>The secretariat
>
>APPA
>
>
>