VZCZCXRO7797
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #1620/01 3200002
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160002Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0235
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1524
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KUALA LUMPUR 001620 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USTR - WEISEL AND JENSEN 
STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE AND EXIMBANK 
STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE SAN FRANCISCO TCURRAN 
USDOC FOR 4430/MAC/EAP/J.BAKER 
TREASURY FOR OASIA AND IRS 
GENEVA FOR USTR 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PREF KPAO KCRM SOCI XB MY
 
SUBJECT: WOMEN'S ISSUES FUND GRANT PROPOSAL FOR BURMESE REFUGEE 
WOMEN IN MALAYSIA 
 
REF: STATE 136319 
 
¶1.  Post recommends the following project for EAP/RSP Regional 
Women's Issues Fund Small Grants Program (SG) for Locally-based 
Organizations: 
 
¶A. Identifying Information: 
--------------------------- 
 
a) Name of project:  Independence and Voice for Burmese Refugees in 
Malaysia 
b) Total budget requested:  $20,530 
c) Duration:  12 months 
d) Name of organization:  Shelter for Women & Children, Malaysia 
e) Organization Director: 
Ms. Jane Kok 
Born: Seremban, Malaysia; August 2, 1961 
f) Organization Contact: 
Mrs. Sharon Haines, Volunteer 
Born: New Jersey, USA; January 8, 1969 
  g)  Mailing Address: 376 Jalan Tun Razak 
    50400, Kuala Lumpur 
    Malaysia 
h) Phone Number:  +6012-205-7563 
i) Email:  hainesfam92@yahoo.com 
j) Organization History/Achievements: 
Shelter for Women and Children (SWC) has worked for the past 3 years 
to provide housing, food and education for refugees who have fled 
Burma's military dictatorship. Malaysia has not signed the 1951 UN 
Convention on Refugees and the government conducts frequent raids 
against them.  For the refugee children there is no access to 
education or health care and little food.  The center enlists 
volunteers including both refugee women and spouses within the 
diplomatic and expatriate community who attempt to provide essential 
services and supplies to the children. 
 
Accomplishments to date include: 
a) enlisting volunteers (both refugee women and ex-patriots living 
in the area); 
b) establishing a community center/safe house which serves as a 
dormitory for ten women by night and as a classroom for the women 
and for approximately 100 children by day. 
c) Engaging in local fund raising for school supplies, food, medical 
care and other basic expenses; 
d) Providing basic instruction in handicraft work (cards, gift bags, 
some weaving) to enable the women to move toward economic 
self-sufficiency; 
e) Providing basic instruction in keyboarding, spreadsheet 
management and Internet skills on personal computers (two have been 
donated to the center). 
 
k) The Center received an award from the Kirby Foundation for school 
supplies.  To date, no USG funding has been provided. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
¶B. Project Overview and Justification: 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  The women of Burma, particularly those from the Chin state, have 
lived their entire lives in desperation.  Under Burma's military 
dictatorship they have been repressed as citizens and exploited as 
women.  Many report stories of having been brutalized and subjected 
to systematic rape and forced labor.  They were brave enough to find 
a way to escape with their children, but many were severely 
exploited and were sexually violated to make passage.  Here in 
Malaysia as illegal immigrants, their living conditions are not much 
better.  They cannot obtain work permits in Malaysia without 
demonstrating marketable skills, which most of the women lack. 
These women are desperate to provide housing and food for themselves 
and for their children.  They may be forced to live in on the 
streets, or among large groups of refugees in the jungle or small 
apartments where they are vulnerable to rape and exploitation. In 
addition, many of these women long to become successful advocates 
for the rights of their families and countrymen in Burma, and to 
pass on their skills to other needy refugee women. 
 
¶3.  In order to reverse the current cycle of exploitation, these 
 
KUALA LUMP 00001620  002 OF 004 
 
 
refugee women need to gain financial independence by learning 
marketable skills, thereby freeing them from their vulnerability to 
exploitation.  Once the urgent need for survival is no longer their 
first priority, these refugee women will be able to shift their 
attention to helping others, including by passing on their 
marketable skills to other women facing the same plight and by 
voicing their political views in support of their friends and family 
who continue to be oppressed in their home country. 
 
¶4.  The first facet of the Independence and Voice for Burmese 
Refugees in Malaysia Project will be to provide the women and girls 
with marketable skills.  These skills would be in three areas: 
English language, computer education, and handicrafts.  The language 
of the world today is English, and having a command of the language, 
particularly in non-English speaking countries, is a skill in high 
demand.  By providing training in Microsoft-based office programs, 
Burmese refugee women can demonstrate skills needed to get a work 
permit in Malaysia, get a job, and also use these skills to 
communicate their views. While the refugee women have had difficulty 
gaining employment with their limited skill set and legal status, 
they have taken to making handicrafts for sale at craft fairs and 
community events.  By providing the women with materials and 
instruction to further enhance their crafting skills, these women 
will be able to become more self-sufficient. 
 
¶5.  Until the refugee women can become self-sufficient, they need 
shelter and food for survival.  The second facet to the project is 
to provide funding to support the safe house for the next year while 
these women are focusing on developing their skills. 
 
¶6.  Once these women have the skills to become financially 
independent, they can shift their attention to the betterment of 
their people.   They will need to gain a basic understanding of the 
rights others and governmental structures that are supportive of 
human rights.  This understanding will allow them to formulate 
well-informed views for improving the situation in Burma.  An 
effective way to do this would be to set up a website and email 
communication with others who are supporting this cause.  The final 
phase of the project will be to assist the women in accessing 
materials for background knowledge and the establishment of a 
website to begin their campaign. 
 
 
¶C. Project Goals/Objectives/Implementation Plan: 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶7. Goals and Objectives: 
 
¶1. Provide Burmese Refugee women with skills to enable them to seek 
legal employment and share with other women in the community. 
¶2. Enable them to reach out to potential supporters for obtaining 
basic rights for their families and friends still living in Burma. 
¶3. Keep the women safe from violence with a protected environment 
for learning while they work toward financial independence. 
 
¶8.  Implementation Plan: 
 
¶1. Education and Skills Development 
a. English language: Enhance current English language curriculum 
with more concentrated focus on communication skills. 
b. Office Computer Skills-Enroll five women in classes teaching 
Microsoft Excel, Word and Power Point. 
c. Handicrafts-Enroll five women in classes teaching quilting and 
jewelry making techniques. 
d. Purchase 2 sewing machines to be used for quilting and three 
additional computers (two already have been donated). 
 
¶2.  Increase Understanding of Human Rights: 
   a. Introduce the women to books and Internet websites that will 
provide an understanding of human rights and governmental structures 
that support human rights. 
   b. Work with them to create a website and email campaign to 
connect them to other individuals and organizations in support of 
their views. 
 
   ¶3. Support of safe house:   Cover the expenses of the center for 
the next year until the women can achieve economic 
self-sufficiency. 
 
 
¶D. Measuring Effectiveness: 
 
KUALA LUMP 00001620  003 OF 004 
 
 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9.  The project will enable the women to remain out of environments 
where they are vulnerable to further exploitation.  They will have 
begun earning income from the skills they've developed and possibly 
obtained legal work permits for employment. They will have learned 
skills well enough to begin to teach others in their community. 
Additionally, they will have formulated views for the promotion of 
human rights within Burma and have established a communication 
network to convey these views. 
 
 
¶D.  Budget: 
----------- 
 
WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTComputer Skills Training:Cost PP 
in USD# of women Cost 
Excel1505 750Word1505 750PowerPoint1505 750 
Handicrafts Training:Quilting20051000Jewelry 
Making20051000 
Equipment: Computers (3)2000Sewing Machines (2) 600 
Subtotal:6850 
FOSTER POLITICAL PARTICIPATION#of months 
Awareness Education100Email Campaign100Website 
hs 
Awareness Education 
100 
Email Campaign 
100 
Website 
Set-up100Website monthly fee1512180 
Subtotal:580FREEDOM FROM VIOLENCERent for 
Shelter300123600Food for Shelter500126000Utilities for 
Shelter300123600 
Subtotal:13200 
Project total: 
20530 
¶E.  Resumes: 
------------ 
 
JANE KOK 
46100 Petaling Jaya 
Selangor Darul Esan, Malaysia 
H/P:  013-217-1165 
kokjane@gmail.com 
 
Work Experience: 
 
Shelter for Women and Children, Malaysia 
Chin Women's Organization, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 
Director  (January, 2004 to present) 
 
Led teaching and fund raising activities within with Burmese Refugee 
community in conjunction with the efforts of the UNHCR, as well as 
overseeing overall health and well being of this community. 
 
Self-Employed Tutor 
Teaching English language, reading, literacy and numeracy to 
children aged 5-18. 
 
Full Gospel Assembly, Kuala Lumpur 
Church Staff 
 
Mentor to University and College Students, helping them to make good 
life choices. 
 
Kuala Lumpur Alice Smith School 
Teacher 
umpur Alice Smith School 
Teacher 
Worked with children ages 5-6 to help them develop age appropriate 
skills in reading, writing and maths. 
 
 
SHARON HAINES 
376 Jalan Tun Razak 
Kuala Lumpur, 50400 
H/P:  012-205-7563 
hainesfam92@yahoo.com 
 
Work Experience: 
 
KUALA LUMP 00001620  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
Shelter for Women and Children, Malaysia 
Chin Women's Organization, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 
Senior Volunteer (January, 2006 to present) 
 
VISA USA, Inc., San Francisco, CA 
Vice President, Merchant Relations (October, 2005 to June, 2006) 
--  Lead a team of three Sales Directors to reach personal and 
corporate goals for increased volume and new acceptance of Visa 
cards for Bill Payment (Utilities, Insurance, Pay TV and 
Telecommunications). 
 
Senior Sales Director (October 2003-October, 2005) 
--  Identified trends in Bill Payment and Retail industries, then 
made recommendations to senior management for a modified approach to 
the marketplace. 
 
Sales Director (August, 2001 - October, 2003) 
--  Sold new products in support of corporate initiatives to top 
retailers which included the number one players in the Supermarket, 
Drug and Office Supplies categories which added more than $50 
Million in new Visa Volume 
 
Sales Manager (June, 2000-August 2001) 
--  Delivered sales of new products, concepts, acceptance, and 
co-brand card issuance through expanding relationships with Visa's 
Top 200 merchants 
 
AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC., Allentown, PA (January, 1998-June 
2000) 
Account Manager 
 
Ici Americas, Inc.  Wilmington, De (April, 1995-January, 1998) 
Sales and Marketing Representative - Developed and implemented 
global marketing and sales strategies for the plastic card market. 
 
 
Rollins Environmental Services (Sales), Inc., Wilmington, DE 
National Technical Representative (February, 1994-April, 1995) 
Technical Representative (August, 1992-October, 1993) 
Sales Agent (February, 1992- August, 1992) 
Chemist (May, 1991 - February, 1992) 
 
Education:  The College of New Jersey (Trenton State College), BS in 
Biology, May 1991 
 
KEITH