Group Backs Study, Work Rights Of Those With Hiv/aids

[Lite Beer]

Group backs study, work rights of those with HIV/Aids

Panraphee Kamonrat,

Thanatpong Khongsai

The Nation on Sunday

The Thai Network of People Living With HIV/Aids campaigns for the rights of people living with HIV to study and work during an event at Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- To mark World Aids Day yesterday, the Thai Network of People Living With HIV/Aids urged an end to discrimination and violations of their rights, and campaigned for public acceptance of the rights of people living with HIV to study and work.

Joining with the Committee of NGOs on HIV/Aids and the Land Transportation Labour Union, the network made their call at Bangkok's Mor Chit 2 Bus Terminal, where they also held events to educate the public about HIV and handed out condoms.

Network president Apiwat Kwangkaew said that although overt discrimination against people living with HIV/Aids had eased, other more discreet methods persisted. For example, some universities had an obligatory blood-test policy in order to keep students living with HIV from studying in some faculties, while some workplaces and private companies also had an obligatory blood-test policy before employing people. He said that such obligatory testing was not only a severe violation of human rights, but also affected the future and life of the person. He cited a survey of people living with HIV in which 47.21 per cent said they had experienced rights violations because of their HIV status; 26.18 per cent had been turned down by prospective employers; and 32.19 per cent lost jobs and income due to the fact that they had HIV.

"While HIV/Aids treatment technologies have advanced, allowing those living with the virus to remain healthy and strong and live for a long time, to the point that we can say 'Aids is treatable', discrimination against and stigmatisation of those living with HIV persists in various forms. It stems from misconceptions that those living with HIV aren't strong; that their behaviours are unacceptable to society; and that HIV can be passed on to others just by living along side one another," Apiwat said.

The network demanded all parties stop such right violations, stigmatisation and discrimination. Apiwat urged all agencies, public and private, to abandon obligatory blood testing before and during employment. No educational institutions should be allowed to use HIV as a reason to violate students' right to education, or to implement obligatory blood testing, he said. He added that the government must promote learning and understanding about HIV prevention as everyone's duty, rather than pushing all the responsibility on to those living with HIV, while also promoting better public understanding about HIV/Aids.

Urging the government to implement concrete and continuous measures, he said the government should promote participation in this cause from all groups in society. He said the most urgent measures were a comprehensive effort to reduce the dangers of spreading HIV through narcotics abuse, and expanding access to anti-retroviral medicine to migrant workers through the health-insurance system.

In related news, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) deputy governor Malinee Sukvejvorakij said the agency had set up a system to address HIV/Aids issues, including efforts to stop discrimination and improve access to anti-retroviral drugs and blood testing. She said an estimate this year put the number of people living with HIV in Bangkok at 54,280. Of these, 2,350 were newly infected people who became HIV-positive through unsafe sex. She said the male homosexual group had the highest risk of becoming HIV-positive, at 21.3 per cent, followed by intravenous drug users at 18.97 per cent and female sex workers at 5.97 per cent. Last year there were 55,520 people living with HIV in Bangkok (2,380 were new infections).

-- The Nation 2012-12-02

[asiawatcher]

This whole scenario of prejudice against HIV carriers is insane. You can't catch it by being in the same room. Everyone should have a right to work and earn a living.

[Bagwan]

It seems that Thailand needs a 'Princess Diana' of it's own. How many years ago was that that she publicly kissed HIV positive patients? Over to you Yingluck, this is a great chance to show that you do have some leadership qualities after all and you could pose as an agent of enlightened opinion.. Show everybody that HIV is not to be feared. I won't make you richer but the political gains could be great.