DHARAMSHALA, August 21: In a first of its kind training on democracy and organising mock elections, Tibetan women activists from Dharamshala visited various Burmese refugee camps in Thailand to conduct a two-week long training.
At the invitation of the East Asia Burma Office of “Democracy Promotion Fund for Burma and Tibet,” Samten Chodon, vice president and Nyima Lhamo, program coordinator of Empowerment through Action of the Daharamshala based Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) led the training on ‘Mechanisms to organise a Mass Mock Election in Burma’ from August 2 – 14.
TWA had in July last year carried out a mass mock election in the Tibetan exile community, ahead of the general elections for the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and the third Kalon Tripa.
In a release Friday, TWA said that the Burmese refugee activists working for the revival of democracy in Burma, currently reeling under the military Junta, were hopeful of conducting similar mock elections in Burma following the training.
Noting the ongoing struggle for democracy in Burma, Samten Chodon said that the Burmese movement for restoring peace led by Daw Aung Sang Sui Kyi was effective in highlighting the oppression and hardships faced by the Burmese people.
“We feel Tibetan democracy is a gifted one, and are happy to share our gift with the people of Burma through this training,” Chodon said.
The TWA representatives also conducted a special training on ‘Women and Democracy’ for members of the Women’s League of Burma in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second largest city.
Disturbed by the growing repression on the movement of Tibetan refugees escaping through Nepal, the Burmese offered their support for the plight of the escaping Tibetan refugees.
“With the heightened repression of Tibetans in Nepal, if Burma became a free state and if meaningful democracy is restored in Burma, then this could also create another route for Tibetans to escape into exile, even if it meant to escape secretly,” said Rev. Katsuyuki Imoto, Chairperson of the East Asia Burma Office said.
