HIV/Aids event organisers accused of discrimination
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Rights activists have slammed the organisers of an international conference on Aids at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, over the alleged discrimination against people living with HIV and Aids, after washable utensils originally used in the cafeteria were replaced by disposable plastic ones.

"This was a very, very sensitive issue that the organisers of the conference should have inform the cafeteria manager about. It is obvious they do no understand how people should behave towards those living with HIV/Aids," said Apiwat Khwangkaew, chairman of Thailand's Network of People Living with HIV/Aids.

Apiwat raised his concerns during the plenary session of the 11th International Congress on Aids in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP).

However, an organiser of the congress said he had been advised that the utensil switch was made for practical reasons and had nothing to do with discrimination.

More than 3,500 participants including policy-makers, health experts, scientists and activists attended ICAAP from Monday to yesterday. People with the Aids virus were among the Thai and foreign delegates attending.

The cafeteria, which normally uses washable utensils, switched to disposable plastic plates, bowls and cutlery on Tuesday.

A statement by NCC Management and Development, which operates the convention centre, said the decision to use disposable plastic utensils was made to accommodate a variety of activities taking place under one roof. With the disposable utensils, delegates could take food outside the service area, it said. Apiwat said a number of his foreign friends living with the human immunodeficiency virus, which can cause Aids, who attended the conference informed him that they were concerned by the apparent discrimination against them.

"As a person living with HIV/Aids, I understand that the cafeteria might want to control the spread of bacteria … but the organisers should have informed the cafeteria and vendors on how to behave when dealing with people living with HIV/Aids," he said.

Wilas Lohitkul, chairman of the ICAAP's local organising committee, said he was informed by the conference centre that the cafeteria had changed to using plastic utensils because it did not have enough of the other type for customers and delegates. "The switch to disposable utensils had nothing to do with discrimination," Wilas said.


-- The Nation 2013-11-23

What, you have aids ? Not welcome here and we will issue a statement later to prove the meeting was in total agrrement with what was decide in advance..

Apiwat said a number of his foreign friends living with the human immunodeficiency virus, which can cause Aids, who attended the conference informed him that they were concerned by the apparent discrimination against them.

If you belong to any group that is regularly discriminated against you can get overly sensitive, which is understandable. At this point it would be impossible to sort out the real reason for the switch, but it sounds like some of the "foreign friends" could be those who go looking for reasons to be offended.

...but the organisers should have informed the cafeteria and vendors on how to behave when dealing with people living with HIV/Aids," he said.

I would have thought that one of their objectives would be for people not to behave differently towards those with HIV/AIDS than they would with anyone else.

A statement by NCC Management and Development, which operates the convention centre, said the decision to use disposable plastic utensils was made to accommodate a variety of activities taking place under one roof. With the disposable utensils, delegates could take food outside the service area, it said.

Having worked in hospitality this was most likely the case.

I remember that one of the hotels I worked at had the usual function rooms that could be subdivided into different sections according to the requirements. On one day we had an international conference on some medical subject with a lot of foreign delegates and a smaller function for a Thai government ministry. One old crow from the ministry ( You know the type, mid-50s horn rimmed glasses, full Thai silk outfit etc) was proclaiming loudly to the function manager as to why the foreigners got a better room than the Thais and because this was Thailand Thai people should get priority blah, blah, blah.

Of course it might be worth mentioning that the conference ( BTW organised by a Thai company) had a budget for their function of about 5 times the one of the ministry.

Not saying it's the case for the OP but some people go out of their way to be offended by any perceived slight.

Well I hope they are going to destroy all the chairs the delegates sat on! Doesn't HIV travel up the backside? No but the catering company sounds like aresholes.

Why to be so susceptible ?

By all means people with HIV should be more concerned to don't spread their virus to the non-infected people around them.

Instead they should take all precautions to protect the others.

When you have kids (like me), everyday you like to come back home "clean" to don't contaminate them (shower at the working place) if you work in unhealthy environment. Right ?

I don't have HIV and I will not use their ustensils, even washed, to eat in a cafeteria. It is common sense, nothing else, and nothing about discrimination.

The paranoia of exclusion starting to spread even in Thailand ? Or another extravaganza from gays ?

Why to be so susceptible ?

By all means people with HIV should be more concerned to don't spread their virus to the non-infected people around them.

Instead they should take all precautions to protect the others.

When you have kids (like me), everyday you like to come back home "clean" to don't contaminate them (shower at the working place) if you work in unhealthy environment. Right ?

I don't have HIV and I will not use their ustensils, even washed, to eat in a cafeteria. It is common sense, nothing else, and nothing about discrimination.

The paranoia of exclusion starting to spread even in Thailand ? Or another extravaganza from gays ?

It is not "common sense", it is a combination of idiocy, paranoia and ignorance. If you could catch HIV from utensils, don't you think practically everyone would have it by now? And how would you know who 'they' are so you could avoid using utensils after 'they' had used them anyway? Or do you just never eat out? I hope you're not some kind of Howard Hughes type who keeps his family in complete isolation for fear of 'contamination'. I'm afraid passing on such ill informed and fearful attitudes to your kids will harm them far more in the long run than any actual sharing of utensils with people that have HIV will; which, as I say - unless you eat at home all the time with people you are sure don't have HIV - is unavoidable. To clarify, it's both unavoidable, and completely harmless.

I don't even know why I'm replying to this; usually when you read something that's completely wrong, there's always a faint hope that ignorance can be impeded by the introduction of fact, but in this case...

Edited November 25, 201312 yr by Emptyset

Why to be so susceptible ?

By all means people with HIV should be more concerned to don't spread their virus to the non-infected people around them.

Instead they should take all precautions to protect the others.

When you have kids (like me), everyday you like to come back home "clean" to don't contaminate them (shower at the working place) if you work in unhealthy environment. Right ?

I don't have HIV and I will not use their ustensils, even washed, to eat in a cafeteria. It is common sense, nothing else, and nothing about discrimination.

The paranoia of exclusion starting to spread even in Thailand ? Or another extravaganza from gays ?

you are trying to make a...very lame...joke, don't you?!

What, you have aids cure ? we will issue an articulation later to demonstrate the gathering was in aggregate agreement with what was choose ahead of time..

I have more chance of being offered the lead role in the next production of River Dance than I do of getting HIV from utensils

I trust they are set to pulverize all the seats the representatives sat on! Doesn't Hiv go up the rear? No yet the catering organization resembles aresholes

"However, an organiser of the congress said he had been advised that the utensil switch was made for practical reasons and had nothing to do with discrimination."

Liar. Narrow minded, ill informed, bigoted liar at that.

Edited December 26, 201312 yr by Bluespunk