CALL FOR SUPPORT

Dear Friends:

Greetings!

We again would like to solicit your support.

Last year, APMM released a statement in support of Dr. Irene Fernandez of Tenaganita, a women centre based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Irene is one of the focus of attack of the Malaysian government in order to silent her and her organization in exposing the inhuman and exploitative situation of migrants in Malaysia. Irene is one of the staunch defender of Human Rights and Migrants Rights!

In light of this, we encourage you to visit Tenaganita's website at http://www.tenaganita.net/ and sign the on-line petition in support of Irene.

We attached a copy of the signature sheet in pdf file in this email and we encourage you to circulate it among your members, networks, friends and families to sign the petition letter and send back to Tenaganita at TENAGANITA SDN BHD. Penthouse, Wisma MLS, No.31, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 50100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can also contact Tenaganita at Tel : (603) 26913691,26973671, Fax : (603) 26913681, E-mail : tenaganita@yahoo.co.uk

Let us unite in the struggle to KEEP IRENE FREE AND DEFEND THE DEFENDERS!

Thank you for your continued support and best wishes.

Ramon Bultron,
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)

CAMPAIGN
KEEP IRENE FREE
DEFEND THE DEFENDERS

Dear Friends,

Warm greetings of solidarity!

On Nov. 18 2003, together with Suaram, CARAM-Asia, Pesticide Action Network for Asia and Pacific (PAN-AP), we launched a national and global campaign to collect ONE MILLION SIGNATURES to express protest over the conviction and the 12 month imprisonment sentence meted to Dr. Irene Fernandez, our Director. The launch of the campaign was a tremendous success as 91 organizations from Malaysia endorsed a joint statement calling on the Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi to set Irene Fernandez free and take steps to protect defenders of human rights.

At the launch we pledged that we would collect 1 MILLION SIGNATURES from all over the world. The signatures will be an expression of protest over the conviction and a call on the Prime Minister of Malaysia to set Irene free from imprisonment and defend the defenders of human rights.

The first phase of the campaign will be for three months beginning November 18 2003. The signature campaign will be done through an on line petition hosted at our website: http://www.tenaganita.net/ . ; through a postcard addressed to the Prime Minister and through signatures on sheets of paper printed by Tenaganita. The campaign will be coordinated by Tenaganita. On December 18 2003, the International day of Solidarity with Migrants, we will have the first batch of petitions handed to Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi. We need to mobilize NOW!

Since Irene was convicted, we have received numerous letters, cards and e-mails of support from various organizations, institutions and individuals. We thank you very much and assure you that this show of support has strengthened us in the current struggle to keep Irene free, to protect migrant rights and to defend the defenders.

We now, write to you to join us in this struggle and in the campaign strategy to collect one million signatures. This target is possible and achievable if we work collectively and ensure all our members in the organization, friends and relatives put their signature on to the petition.

We also want members of various organizations like religious groups, students, housewives, community based groups and all members of civil society to be part of the campaign and sign on to the petition.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The On line Petition hosted at http://www.tenaganita.net/ has the petition. Just click, sign in and be home.

Pass the information to as many people and organizations as possible, encouraging them to sign in.

Download the petition on sheet, found in the website and get people to sign. This is good for those who do not have e-mail access. Once the signatures are collected, please post them back to Tenaganita by registered mail.

Get lots of postcard from Tenaganita. Organize the postcard signature. Collect them and send back to Tenaganita either by registered mail or hand over personally.

If you are new to the campaign, we are glad to attach the background to the conviction and the joint statement.

In solidarity,

Aegile Fernandez
Coordinator, National Focal Point,
Tenaganita

STAND UP! SIGN UP!!