Fernando, Laksiri --- "Bangkok DTP Session: Human Rights in Practice" [1996] HRightsDef 10; (1996) Human Rights Defender

Bangkok DTP Session: Human Rights in Practice

Laksiri Fernando*

The Diplomacy Training Program (DTP), affiliated with the University of New South Wales, successfully completed its seventh annual four week training in human rights held in Bangkok, Thailand from 9 January to 2 February 1996. Founded by Jose Ramos-Horta in 1989, the DTP is the only regular regional human rights program in the Asia-Pacific which caters to the needs of NGOs and other sectors of civil society.

Twenty two participants from thirteen different countries/constituencies participated in the four week training, while an additional ten Thai participants attending the one week introductory course. As representatives of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM Asia) commented, the session represented a significant improvement on the January 1995 session. This progress was the result of a well planned curriculum delivered by highly experienced and qualified trainers.

The local partners of the DTP 1996 Bangkok session were: 1. FORUM Asia, 2. the Program for the Promotion of Non Violence in Thai Society, affiliated to Chulalongkorn University; 3. the Thai House (Parliament) Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and Duan Prateep Foundation. The program was funded by the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development in Canada, Diakonisches Werk of the Evangelical Church in Germany, NOVIB, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung office in Sri Lanka, Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma, National Council of Churches of Australia, Australian Catholic Relief and Community Aid Abroad in Australia.

The Chairperson of the House Committee, Mr. Witthaya Kaewparadai, attended both the opening and closing ceremonies and addressed the trainees and other guests. The first three weeks of the program were held at the Rangsit Campus of the Thammasat University, the final week of the training at Chulalongkorn University.

Dr. Sarah Pritchard from the Faculty of Law was a key resource person for the training and was available during the first two weeks. The Bangkok training was coordinated by Laksiri Fernando, the current Acting Director of the DTP, and joint coordinator, Ms. Alison Tate. Both also conducted a number of sessions. To the great disappointment of trainees, and despite the intervention of supporters in the Thai Parliament, Thai universities and the Thai human rights community, Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta was unable to attend due to visa difficulties.

Other resource persons included Ms. Cecilia Jimenez of the Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights, Ms. Evelyn Serrano, Secretary General of the Philippines Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Mr. Jose Campino, Political Affairs Officer with the UN Secretariat in New York, Dr. Joachim Grimsmann, Senior Specialist with the International Labour Organisations regional office, Ms. Songporn Tajaroensuk, Dr. Gotham Arya and Dr. Walden Bello from Chulalongkorn University, Professor Chaiwat Satha-Anand from Thammasat University, Mr. Sonny Inbaraj of The Nation newspaper and Dr. Victor Karunan, regional development adviser to the UK-based Save the Children Fund, and other regional specialists.

As in previous years, the training aimed to impart knowledge and professional skills through more partic-12ipatory learning processes than employed in traditional university courses, while maintaining high academic standards. Sessions included History and Concepts of Human Rights, Public International Law, International Human Rights Law, United Nations Human Rights Instruments and Mechanisms, The UN Commission and Sub-Commission on Human Rights, Human Rights Movements, Human Rights Diplomacy, Human Rights Education, Methods of Effective Lobbying, NGO Strategy Development, Effective Use of the Media and other thematic issues relevant to the region, including human rights and development, the environment, refugees and displaced persons, child rights and the trafficking of women. Different resource persons employed lectures, group activities and role plays.

Some of the skills acquired by trainees during the course included fact finding, public speaking and writing for the press. The four week program involved 120 solid hours of training with an additional 40 hours of journal and country project reporting time. The trainees visited the UN ESCAP Office in Bangkok and the House Committee on Justice and Human Rights of the Thai Parliament during the program. An overnight field trip to visit rural NGOs was also arranged.

The DTPs annual training course was first started in 1990 and is designed to cater to the needs and priorities of human rights advocates and defenders in the Asia-Pacific region. There is an increasing awareness within the region, also in governmental circles, about the value of this type of program in addressing human rights issues in Asia-Pacific countries. Since its inception, the DTP has trained over 300 personnel through regional and in-country training programs. In the context of the UN Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004), there is considerable scope for the DTP to expand and diversify its activities and to cater to larger and more diverse target groups within and outside Australia.

*Laksiri Fernando is the Acting Executive Director of the Diplomacy Training Program.n