BASPIA English Blog

BAS Funds for
Kachin Women's Association-Thailand (KWAT)

As the second launching ceremony nears, we take some time to reminisce over the people and programs of our past two years. 

One program we are eager to re-launch is the BAS Asian Funds.  In October of 2006, BASPIAN member and former staff, Ms. Su-Hyung Jung, went to Thailand to meet Ms. Shirley Sheng, the head of Kachin Women’s Association-Thailand (KWAT).  In February of 2007, BASPIA was proudly able to presented KWAT with a grant of $1500 USD. We hope to continue this program that provides support “from Asia to Asia."

About KWAT:

http://www.globalgoodspartners.org/kwat

KWAT is a community-based organization that provides training and educational awareness programs, covering topics such as gender, women’s rights, and health, for women from the Kachin state of Burma.  The Kachin state is located in the north of Burma, traditionally an agricultural community, but over the years has been oppressed by the Burmese military.

KWAT developed as a response to the violence and instability faced by Kachin women.  Many women settled in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, so KWAT works with women in Chiang Mai and surrounding villages, where the Kachin exile population is the largest.

KWAT is also deeply involved in human rights advocacy, education, and research.  The report, Driven Away: Trafficking of Kachin Women on the China-Burma Border, was written based on research done in 2004.

Kachin Women's Association - Thailand (KWAT)
P.O Box 415, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand
E-mail: kwat@loxinfo.co.th

For more information and a copy of the report, Driven Away, go to:

http://www.womenofburma.org/kwat.htm

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