SHE burst onto the Aware stage on April 23, declaring herself the 'feminist mentor' of several women in the association's new leadership.

Senior lawyer and former law faculty dean Thio Su Mien, 70, did not hide the fact that she was the driving force behind the March28 takeover of the women's group.

A born-again Christian, she said that she had been disturbed by what she saw as signs that Aware was promoting lesbianism and homosexuality, in its activities and in a sexuality programme for schools.

She was most concerned that the day would come when Aware began lobbying for same-sex marriage.

So she began telling people what she found out, and urged women to take over Aware and change it. She spread the message by e-mail, she revealed.

Within days, tech-savvy netizens began circulating an e-mail they said Dr Thio had sent out last December. In it, she attacked Aware's sexuality education programme, saying it encouraged girls to experiment sexually with other girls.

Urging women to join Aware, she added: 'Unfortunately, I cannot surface but shall be assisting in the background.'

Aware saw a successful power grab by her mentees on March 28, but things quickly started unravelling.

At the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Saturday, when the remnants of the new exco were tossed out, Dr Thio confirmed that she had written the December e-mail. 'I was disturbed by what Aware was doing and felt that I had to do my part, but I didn't want to front it. If not, we would not have the advantage,' she told The Straits Times, declining to elaborate.

On Saturday, she was booed by the large crowd at the EGM, and shouted down when she tried to explain that she was a Singapore woman pioneer.

The meeting ended with failure for the women she mentored, but Dr Thio said afterwards: 'I am OK. I have no regrets. I did what I felt I had to do. If the members are happy with Aware's focus, then so be it.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.