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Thailand to address human rights violations of People Living with HIV and AIDS
11 March 2004 - A National Consultation on "HIV/AIDS and Human Rights" will be held on 12 March at Siam City Hotel, Bangkok . The consultation is expected to produce concrete recommendations on what needs to be done to better promote and protect the human rights the nearly 600,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Thailand.
The consultation will bring together government officials, people living with HIV and AIDS, lawyers, human rights activists, academics, non-governmental organizations and agencies of the United Nations.
The Minister of Justice, H.E. Mr. Pongthep Thepkanchana, will give the keynote address at the National Consultation, a testament to the Government's recognition of the problems of discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. The recently established Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, within the Ministry of Justice, is now expected to take a lead role in promoting and protecting the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Convener of the National Consultation on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, Mr. J.K. Robert England , UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, said: "This event will provide a crucial forum to address the sensitive and difficult issues related to stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS".
He stated that: "A quarter of people living with HIV and AIDS in Thailand report being insulted and harassed due to their HIV status. This unacceptable situation creates an atmosphere of fear and denial, undermining the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and treatment programmes."
The recommendations from the National Consultation will also feed into a Regional Expert Meeting on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights in Asia-Pacific to be held later this month, 23-24 March in Bangkok . The National Consultation is also part of the lead up to the XV International AIDS Conference, 11-16 July 2004, to be held in Bangkok.
