From iwtc@igc.apc.orgWed Sep 6 16:03:28 1995 Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 07:42:45 -0700 From: International Women's Tribune Centre Reply to: beijing-conf@tristram.edc.org To: BEIJING-CONF@tristram.edc.org Subject: Globalnet35 SECOND FAXNET FROM BEIJING/HUAIROU! It's been a chaotic week at the NGO Forum on Women in Huairou, with moments and low moments and lots in between. Each morning begins with a plenary session, but one has to be on site very early to get in as the Plenary Hall holds only 1,500. The promised Plenary Hall -to seat 3,000 with 3,000 on the second floor watching closed circuit television-is but a shell looming against the skyline! In fact, local entrepreneurs have turned the empty space within the skeleton building into a "Free Bar", i.e. a restaurant for soft drinks and noodles. Each day, more food begins to appear on the Forum site as people realize that we need to eat and are in fact having a problem finding food! There have been problems these last couple of days, mostly to do with the continuing tight security on the site and the surveillance and disruptive tactics of Chinese security agents. A Tibetan workshop was raided yesterday morning and an attempt made to confiscate a video being shown. A scuffle ensued as participants stopped the agents getting hold of the tape, and they finally left the room. A similar situation developed at an Amnesty International meeting, and also at an Australian meeting in Beijing, where the microphone and the VCR were removed during a Women's Speakout that is held every evening in the Kunlun Hotel. Yesterday, Saturday September 2, things reached a head when the NGO Facilitating Committee called a press conference to protest these and other actions of Chinese security agents. The NGO Forum Convenor, Khunying Supatra Masdit, said that if they received any written reports of violations of the agreements reached between the NGO Forum and the China Organizing Committee, they would go to their constituents and consult them on what action to take. Actions mentioned included cancellation of the Forum, and demonstrations. Foremost among the agreements previously reached was that within the Forum site, "people would be totally free to carry on any activity", and that there would be "no security actions, no surveillance, no censorship" of these activities. Members of the FC said they detected a pattern of surveillance of Forum participants. They had received reports about incidents taking place within the Forum area, such as meetings, even friendly gatherings, in the parasol area! , being broken up and the people asked to disperse, of attempts to confiscate audio-visual materials or the disappearance of materials during a presentation, and of women being questioned about the contents of a song in a cassette to be played at a workshop. An ultimatum was given by the NGO Facilitating Committee to the COC to see that the such activities ceased and desisted before 12 noon today. It would appear that there has been some response, as there was a noticeable difference at security gates today, and women passed through the metal detectors without taking bags off their shoulders. A large and noisy anti-nuclear demonstration in front of the Plenary Hall was allowed to take place, even thouth much of the anger was directed towards Chinese nuclear testing, particularly by Korean and Japanese protestors. South Pacific participants took an active role also, protesting the recommencement of french nuclear testing at Muroroa Atoll today. Other demonstrations in the last 24 hours have included those organized by Bosnian women, Indian grassroots women, Laotian and Muslim women. All have been allowed to continue without harassment from security agents. One last comment. We have had torrential rain this week, turning the site into a quagmire reminiscent of Woodstock 169 and 1994! The scenes have been memorable, as women in costumes from all parts of the world slipped and slithered through the mud and over the newly laid, tenuously placed pavement blocks. Tents collapsed on workshops in progress and more than one woman gave up attempting the stone stairs that lead to the regional tents, the newly erected MacDonalds's tent, or the parasol area. Our Once and Future Pavilion held up well, though many activities such as the paper making and permaculture demonstrations had to be moved inside. A lade developed at the entrance and we had to route everyone through the Women's Bookstore. But we survived, and have been hosting bigger and more responsive crowds each day. Today the sun was shining again, Rigoberta Menchu came to visit, and all's well with the world!