HIV/Aids event organisers accused of discrimination
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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 use
“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.
