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An NGO who took the advantage over (r)



An NGO who took the advantage over Burmese cause

        Burmese medical experts including distin-
guished doctors  first founded  Saytaman magazine 
and European Union supported the finance. 

        It is  a health magazine  published since 
1996.  It benefits  all health workers  including 
medics who are working along borders of Burma. It 
is written in Burmese and English language and it 
was mainly aimed  for Burmese cause.  In spite of 
bitter complaint,  which called for investigation 
and  verification,  we believed that  Mr. Thierry 
ignored the request.

        We, aggrieved party,  are looking forward 
to letting  all people worldwide know about these 
problems inside Saytaman health magazine project.
-------------------------------------------------

31 July, 1997

Managing Director Aide Medicale Intemationale
l 19 rue des Amandiers 75020 Paris, France

Subject: Unfair dismissal of former Saytaman team

RE. The resignation letters by Saytaman Coordina-
tor  of  AMI-Chiang Mai,  Thailand dated  on 13th 
June 1997 

Dear Sir:
Warm greetings from Chiang Mai!
        We,  members of the  former Saytaman team, 
would like to  express our  high gratitude to  AMI 
Paris. We believe that you are aware that the pre-
vious Saytaman team was  forced to  resign  by Ms. 
Annette  Ravaud,  coordinator of  Saytaman  by the 
alleged reasons of:
* the team could not satisfy the conditions of the 
  contract agreed between European Union and AMI.
* the team needs to be  reconstructed and  reorga-
  nised for future publications.
        We believe that Saytaman is one of the AMI 
projects and hence AMI has the full responsibility 
of fulfilling  the project concerned.   We believe 
that Saytaman coordinator  as well as  AMI-Bangkok 
and AMI-Paris also have the creditability to moni-
tor the project. Actually the health magazine pro-
ject  is  valuable  and  it  benefits  the  health 
workers  who are  working  along  the  borders  of 
Burma.  We were very pleased to participate in the 
team.
        Since the beginning of  1996 when Saytaman 
started,  the team has  had four steady  team mem-
bers.  These four  should be  named as  "core mem-
bers":   Ms Annette Ravaud  (coordinator),  Thu Ya 
(translator and  deputy editor),  Mi Mi    (office 
manager),  and Soe Lwin (freelance layout and com-
puter consultant).  Other participants  who worked 
for part-time  were English proofreaders, transla-
tors, distributors, librarians and freelance illu-
strators.  The core members were aware of the dif-
ficulties and  problems  regarding  publication of 
Saytaman  but were unsuccessful  in getting  these 
issues addressed by the coordinator.

        Another  important  section was the edito-
rial committee.  The editorial committee consisted 
of members from various health organisations, from 
Burmese opposition groups and NGOs.  They were key 
decision-makers in terms of selection of articles, 
choosing subjects for coming edition, layout, etc. 
But,  the  weaknesses  of the  committee  were  as 
follows:
* editorial committee members could not attend the 
  meetings regularly.
* due to insufficient preparation for the meetings 
  and bad facilitation,  the  editorial  committee 
  could spend up to two hours on only one article. 
  With  no clear direction,  strategies and  poli-
  cies were  frequently changed,  leaving the team 
  confused and frustrated.
* editorial  members  were from  different  health 
  sectors with diverse and  sometimes  conflicting 
  experience and background.  Burmese doctors pre-
  fer to  write  the articles  based on  ideology, 
  practical  experience  from  remote  area  newly 
  created health  care system  for future.  On the 
  other hand  the medical professionals  from NGOs 
  favored  contributions  on  the  diseases  which 
  occur in the refugee camps  sometimes NGO repre-
  sentatives  unreasonably  rejected  the articles 
  that Burmese doctors presented.
* There was  a lack of  consistency and/or commit-
  ment among  the committee.  Some members changed 
  very often  as they left  Thailand  according to 
  the regulation  of NGOs.  While  Burmese doctors 
  remained,  they  faced  problems  attending  the 
  meeting,  as they do not have  travelling  docu-
  ments.

        Saytaman  sought for  and received  funding 
for publication of magazine in  English and Burmese 
bimonthly. The objective of the Saytaman is to pro-
mote distance  learning and  to revise knowledge of 
the  health workers.  The  prime  target  group  is 
middle class health workers (junior medics) who are 
working along  the borders of Burma.  We understood 
that EU provided  the funding  assistance  for Say-
taman because of  the Burmese cause but the manage-
ment was undemocratic and worked top-down. The team 
was excluded from the funding process; and thus not 
gives decision-making  responsibility.  Nobody from 
Saytaman was informed about details  of the project 
except for Ms. Annette.  We believed Saytaman to be 
more than  a health magazine and  it should reflect 
the entire health body  of the Burmese borders  and 
need to be an example  of the strength of the coor-
dination and  co-operation amongst NGOs and Burmese 
activists. However,  to the contrary,  the style of 
management rather reflected  the discrimination and 
unfair practices  that migrant workers  continually 
face.   When the Burmese team  expressed  views and 
opinions  contrary  to the co-ordinator  they  were 
threatened with dismissal.

        We were informed by other NGOs that the de-
lay of the magazines was  due to the Burmese staff. 
Since  we were not given  decision-making responsi-
bility, we were unable to publish the magazine even 
though it was  finished,  whenever  Ms. Annette was 
absent, which was often.

        We,  Burmese staff,  five members  who were 
hard core members of Saytaman were forced to resign 
from Saytaman,  arbitrarily with  no reasons given. 
The reason as far as  we can discover that the pro-
ject coordinator  Ms. Annette would like to control 
the funds received mainly from EU and elsewhere and 
use it for her own self-advancement  at the expense 
of Burmese health and humanitarian cause.

        We are  deeply concerned  that  Ms. Annette 
disregarded  the responsibility and  trust bestowed 
upon her.  Due to the lack of openness and willing-
ness to work  within the team,  Ms. Annette use  of 
funds has been  questioned  by the team of  workers 
and we have found that  50,000 Baht  has been spent 
and not accounted for.  For that we, Burmese staff, 
complained to Mr. Thierry Colombet,  who is coordi-
nator for AMI-Thailand but received no satisfactory 
response.  The quick-fix solution was  for the team 
to resign so as it could be reorganised. We accept-
ed the idea and it was credit as reasonable excuse.  
However,  at present time,  we receive the reliable 
information  that  Ms. Annette is  working together 
with Mr. Samuel Scoles  who is appointed by herself 
as  assistant  coordinator  and  two  other  French 
people to publish Saytaman.  It is unfair treatment 
because  she dismissed  the former  members  on the 
understanding  that they would be  included  in the 
re-establishment  of the programme;  and that their 
experience and expertise would be  (1 Please, refer 
enclosed document dated on  06/05/97 and 03/06/97.)
given recognition.  We also heard that  Ms. Annette 
contacted with Burmese embassy in Bangkok for tran-
slations of  Saytaman.  We believe  that she should 
promote the local people to employ and empower them 
and  make the  Saytaman project  to be  sustainable 
instead of spending money without planning and dir-
ection, which she already received from EU.

        In spite of our complaint, which called for 
investigation and  verification,  we believed  that 
Mr. Thierry ignored our request. For that it resul-
ted en  masse dismissal.  AMI at Chiang Mai is sup-
posed to be dealing with Burmese affairs and we are 
Burmese. We feel that AMI is acting contrary to the 
ideals of international NGOs  by employing an inex-
perienced  expatriate  Mr. Samuel Scoles  over  the 
qualified and committed Burmese staff.  We are tho-
roughly upset  with the  irresponsible  solution of 
Mr.  Thierry.  Our  main  concern  is  that  health 
workers  on the borders have access to  information 
written by and for them;  providing a positive, em-
powering role model of the production and distribu-
tion of  health materials.  Therefore we all report 
this matter to you,  AMI-Paris.  We will ever fight 
for liberty,  honesty,  freedom of expression,  and 
human rights.  We always against  any kinds  of the 
discriminations violate by the authoritarian.

        We, aggrieved party, are looking forward to 
you for necessary  corrective action and  expect to 
hearing from you as soon as possible.
Sincerely yours,

	(Dr. Aung Myat Hla)	
	(Thu Ya)
	(Than Aye)	
	(Soe Lwin)	
	(Mi Mi)


Copy to:
1. ECHO, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2. Headquarters, European Union, Brussels, Belgium
3. Co-ordinator, AMI, Thailand
4. Co-ordinator, Saytaman magazine
5. Editorial members, Saytaman magazine
6. Embassy concern:
7. Ausaid
8. Auscare
9. Asia foundation
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************ Aide Medicale Internationale ************
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