Page 125 - Dignity and justice for all of us our voices are heard in Thailand

Article 25

“We need to pay attention to how people

living with HIV and AIDS are making a living”

Commentary

Mr. Mechai Viravaidhya, President of the medication. Many people living with HIV are Mr. Mechai Viravaidhya
Population and Community Development discriminated against, for example, by being
Association (PDA), has been committed to fired from their jobs. There have been cases
raising the standard of living of the Thai of abuse where blood testing was compulsory
population for over 30 years. He is recognized in the workplace, even though this is against
globally as as a senior development expert the law. All this has made it necessary to
and believes that there should be a serious improve understanding of HIV and AIDS – it is
human rights campaign in Thailand, starting not enough just to come out and say what
with the publication of a pocket-size Universal rights these people have, he says.
Declaration of Human Rights for general
distribution. He himself had not seen the text “Although the situation has gotten somewhat
of this Declaration until very recently. better, there has been no real improvement,”
Therefore, he is not surprised that people are says Mr. Viravaidhya. “The government has
not aware of the Universal Declaration and do been very slow on issues relating to AIDS.
not understand human rights. This also There was a time when they have even
explains why people living with HIV and AIDS ignored this issue altogether and did not work
are still living in hardship. on prevention or educating the people,
resulting in a rise of the infection rate.” In
Mr. Viravaidhya believes that even though the addition to treatment and prevention, he also
overall status of people living with HIV is feels that we need to pay attention to how
much better than before, people in society people living with HIV and AIDS are making a
still do not have enough understanding about living as this is also an important issue in
the disease, and people living with HIV are still dealing with the problem.
afraid to come out from hiding or ask for

Our Voices are Heard in Thailand 113