update: ASEAN Fax/E-mail Campaign

[altsean@xxxxxxxxxx]

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ASEAN?

1. GETTING IN TOUCH WITH LEADERS
2. WHO TO WRITE TO
3. CONTACTING THE MEDIA
4. MEDIA CONTACTS UPDATE

________________________________________

1.      GETTING IN TOUCH WITH LEADERS

In addition to writing to Dato Ajit Singh, it is essential that you write to
Asean leaders.

I would suggest your write an open letter to Asean leaders and then send it
with the appropriate cover letter to Dato Ajit Singh.  Remember, Slorc
membership is a political issue and the decision is made by political
leaders.  Dato Ajit Singh is just taking the cue from them.

No matter where you are, you can write to the leaders care of their local
diplomatic mission of that country.

This is a good strategy, because the diplomatic mission is obliged to
forward the letter on to the capital, and their staff will get to know you
who are.  This is useful to building up a dialogue with Asean diplomatic
missions.  As a start, send your letter to the Head of State with a cover
letter to the Ambassador asking that s/he kindly forward your letter to the
capital. After that, you can "follow up" to see if this has been done and
perhaps, seek an informal meeting to ask what their policy on this is, etc.
The diplomatic missions lover "informal" meetings with small groups of
people because these are not binding, and less intimidating to them.

Remember, they are a rarified breed of people who usually avoid NGOs and
activists, so we must try not to scare them off.  One of the exceptions is
the Philippines missons, most generally tend to be approachable, partly
because some staff were involved in anti-Marcos revolution.

Don't forget: write thru the local embassy - Ambassadors get very peeved if
they don't know about correspondence to their leaders.

SIMPLE STEPS:
1.      Write letter to leaders

2.      Write cover letter to local diplomatic mission (Ambassador or highest)
Send this and original letter to appropriate embassy. Don't forget to follow
up as a means of opening contact with embassy.

3.      Write cover letter to Dato Ajit Singh. Send this with a copy of
letter to leaders to him.

____________________________________________

2.  WHO TO WRITE TO

The people to write to are:

BRUNEI
His Royal Highness Sultan Hassaniah Bolkiah

INDONESIA
President Suharto

MALAYSIA
Acting Prime Minister Dato Anwar Ibrahim

PHILIPPINES
President Fidel Ramos

SINGAPORE
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong

THAILAND
Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh

VIETNAM
Prime Minister Vo Van Kiat

ASEAN SECRETARIAT
H.E. Dato' Ajit Singh
Secretary General
ASEAN Secretariat
70A Jalan Sisingamagaraja
Jakarta 12110
Indonesia
Fax: (6221) 7243504 / 7398234
<geni@xxxxxxxxxxx>

_____________________________________________

3. CONTACTING THE MEDIA

Please remember, when you are writing a Letter to the Editor, please don't
send the same letter to multiple receipients. They hate publishing identical
letters and you (and maybe us) won't get a second chance.

If you are unable to modify your letter(s) according to the publication
concerned, please send it as a press release instead.

Also, papers in SEA are quite strict about verifying your identity.
Therefore, ensure you provide your full name, address, telehpone number,
email address and a pseudonym if you wish to use one.

Sorry about overloading you on the Malaysia side, it's just that if Malaysia
changes its stand on Burma, everyone will follow.

________________________________________

4.  MEDIA CONTACTS - UPDATE


>Media Contacts in ASEAN Countries
>
>GENERAL
>
>Asia Times
><letters@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Asiaweek
><editors@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Far Eastern Economic Review
<review@xxxxxxxx
Fax: 852 2503 1530 (News)



>BRUNEI
>
>Borneo Bulletin
><brupress@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>INDONESIA

Harian Umum Republika
Fax: 6221 780 0649

>Indonesia Times
><indotimes@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Jakarta Post
>Fax:  6221-5492685
>
>Kompas
><kompas@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Suara Merdeka
><news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Suara Pembaruan
><pembaru@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Surabaya Post
><sbypost@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>MALAYSIA

ALIRAN
Fax: 604 641 5785 (Progressive magazine published by NGO - widely read,
bilingual)

BERNAMA (Govt news agency, feeds to local and international)
Fax: 603 298 1102

Harakah (bi-weekly of PAS, the Muslim Opposition Party, very respected,
mostly in Malay)
Fax: 603 421 2422

Nanyang Press (Chinese language Newspaper)
Fax: 603 777 6855

New Straits Times (Biggest English language daily. Must contact)
Fax: 603 282 1434

Radio TV Malaysia -RTM (Two TV networks and numerous radio, multilingual)
Fax: 603 282 2193

Rocket (Publication of Democratic Action Party - opposition, multilingual)
Fax: 603 775 5486

Sin Chew Jit Poh (Chinese language paper)
Fax: 603 755 6881

Tamil Nesan (Tamil language paper)
Fax: 603 221 0448

The Sun (Progressive English daily the last time I looked)
Fax: 603 795 2624, 795 2625

TV3 (bilingual commercial station)
Fax: 603 719 3509

Utusan Melayu (influential Malay language daily)
Fax: 603 222 7876

Watan (Malay language weekly)
Fax: 603 452 8505

Metrovision (new commercial tv)
Fax: 603 511 0981

>Berita Harian (Daily Malay language, owned by same group as NST)
><bharian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Fax: 603 282 2425

>The Star
><editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Fax: 603 755 4039

>PHILIPPINES

MORE ON THIS TOMORROW

>The Manila Chronicle 
>Fax: (632) 530-1051 or (632) 530-1208
>
>SINGAPORE
>
>The Straits Times
><straits@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<stforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> for letters to editor
Fax: 65 732 0131

>Business Times Singapore
><biztimes@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

>THAILAND
>
>Bangkok Post
><editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>The Nation
><editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Matichon Newspaper
><matichon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>