[sustran] fwd: RE: Appeal for help from disabled people in Bangkok

[SUSTRAN Resource Centre]

This informative response bounced because Naziaty is not subscribed to
sustran-discuss.

To: SUSTRAN Resource Centre <sustran at po.jaring.my>,
        sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
Subject: RE: Appeal for help from disabled people in Bangkok
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 22:41:03 +0800
...

Dear Topong Kulkhanchit and friends,

With what little experience I have in dealing and 'working' with the
City Hall of Kuala Lumpur, and recollecting the stories that my
colleagues, such as Christine Lee,  who had campaign and peacefully
demonstrated against STAR-LRT's exclusion of the disabled in 1994 in
Kuala Lumpur; I find a similar pattern happening to the Bangkok
advocates.

At one time, the government ministries called upon the demonstrating
groups for a discussion, and persuaded them not to demonstrate and
promised to look into the matter in 1994 back then. STAR-LRT still has
not solved the problem, but as a result another privatised company
PUTRA-LRT designed disabled friendly stations in 1998 / 99.

Malaysia's infra-structure projects in the 90s are basically privatised
projects done by local companies , sometimes with a lot of foreign
expertise.They are being funded of course by the Finance Ministry and
the policies are made by the Economic Planning Unit.

Is Skytrain a privatised project and part of a massive re-structuring of
transportation infrastructure?
Analyse the Skytrain in a contextual situation; meaning looking at it as
a whole with many other different projects that the government is doing
on transportation. Try to get informal one-to-one discussion with a
transport engineer, not necessarily from BMA but a local consultant,
just to get the right information first on how the government machinery
and funding work.

If it is a one-off project just to appease a short term measure; the
voice by the Bangkok disabled users is not going to be 'important',
compared to a more massive restructuring project. Money is always being
cited as the problem, but the real problem is the 'heart' of bureaucracy
or the people that makes the decision. A transport engineer that did a
lot of study for Malaysian government told me that money is the the
least of the problems, but it is always the excuse.

Firstly,you have to get contacts in the government. Map out your
resource together among your groups. It's no use just having a lot of
support from the media. Good that you have so, but go all out to get
support from the key government people. Find support from mainstream
NGOs like the women's groups etc. or a group that have been successful
before. 
Get help from pro-active academics, professionals and researchers.
Have small discussions and meetings. Build your information base.

Secondly, then form your strategies. Bring disabled issues alongside
with mainstream transportation lobby groups.
If they are not strong, you make them strong.
Maybe in your case it takes the disabled to show the way.
Join in the other causes and bring women and children's concern in, such
as 'family-based advocacy'..
School-children safety campaign, for instance.
Work short, medium and long-term strategies, rather than just
concentrate on the 'shouting-match'...

Finally, you can mobilise your resources including the contacts that you
have. 
Work on a variety of projects and one of them happen to be the Skytrain
project.
Be able to relax awhile and only 'push' during a right time. When you
'push', it could be continuous or it could be sporadic.
This I meant to be campaigning via media, communication, such as writing
letters, commenting in the press, phone calls etc.

But still push for your rights from the consumer and Bangkok resident
point of view, in terms of equal opportunities etc.
Try to get the views into to the mainstream consumer rights. Convince
the mainstream lobby groups to campaign for you.

The problem in Bangkok may be different than in Kuala Lumpur and in KL
we have a long way to go. But as a disabled person, I realised very much
that we have to bring our problems to be aligning with mainstream
concerns. It is like getting into this big boat and helping it to steer
the right course.

In Malaysia, transportation issues are a big block and that it is part
of the government's agenda. Mega-projects and strong on infrastructure.

I talked with government engineers who symphatise with pedestrian
friendly and the disabled plight, but they always give the money excuse.
Then, I realised that the disabled is considered as 'little barking
dogs' that is a nuisance. Yes, I truly feel that this is what they think
of us. We must get the facts, and the backing of solid ideas from
professionals and government people. There is no other way, but to make
them sit up and look at us. When we make strong cases and back with
viable solutions, will they sit up and notice.

I am afraid you cannot rely on a few organisations to help you such as
DPI etc. Don't just come on the 'disabled' banner.

That is all that I can relate now. Please contact further.


Naziaty Mohd Yaacob, Dept of Architecture, University of Malaya, Kuala
Lumpur, 50603.
Co-ordinator of Accessible Built Environment Research Centre [ABLE],
University of Malaya.
Adviser of Access Initiative Group [AIG]
Member of Forum for Equitable and Environmental-friendly Transport
[FEET]


	-----Original Message-----
	From:	SUSTRAN Resource Centre [SMTP:sustran at po.jaring.my]
	Sent:	Saturday, June 19, 1999 9:18 AM
	To:	sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
	Cc:	Topong Kulkhanchit; naziaty at alambina.um.edu.my;
san.unescap at un.org
	Subject:	Appeal for help from disabled people in Bangkok

	Dear sustran-discussers,  Can anyone provide any help or
information for
	our friends in Bangkok?