PLHIV and deadly gunbattle between Cambodian-Thai troops at the border

A young lady draws a cart full of her belongs while her sister is pushing from behind. Hundreds of Cambodian villagers, including People Living with HIV (PLHIV), living along the Cambodian-Thai border evacuated their homes after deadly fighting between the Cambodian and Thai troops on 15 October, 2008.

By Chhay Sophal

People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and AIDS workers living and working near the Cambodian-Thai border expressed their satisfaction that the two nations had agreed to resumes talks for peace after the outbreak of deadly fighting in three different places along the border in the northern part of the country on 15 October. They said if the gunbattle had become more serious and extended, it would have caused mass evacuations and interrupted services and food supplies for PLHIV.

The more than one-hour exchange of rocket and gunfire resulted in casualties on both sides. It happened after the four-month standoff along the Cambodian-Thai border, near the ancient temple of Preah Vihear. The standoff started in mid July after the temple was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, which angered Thai nationalists who argue the site belongs to Thailand and who accused their political leadership of caving in by agreeing to the listing.

After the clashes, thousands of Cambodian civilians, including PLHIV, not only near disputed areas but also in some other places along the border evacuated their homes for safety, while Thai citizens in Cambodia also fled after their embassy in Phnom Penh urged evacuations.

“Fearing of fighting eruption, our PLHIV living next to the border moved to the city center for safety,” said Yorn Nath, a HIV-positive widow, living in Pailin, a town several kilometers away from the border in northwestern country. Nath, who is also an HIV peer educator in her community for Battamabng Women’s AIDS Project (BWAP), said she and other PLHIV are happy to hear of the ceasefire. “When fighting erupts along the border, our people fled their homes to escape bullets and artilleries. Such fleeing is affected to our PLHIV who get ARV and food supply from the WFP.”

Ms Ing Siv Heng, BWAP Director, said her organisation covers more than 150 PLHIV just in Pailin. She said she is happy to hear that the two sides are seeking peaceful talks to return to a normal situation. “If fighting happens and extends, our PLHIV are facing challenges with their health.”

It’s time for Cambodian women to take ICT

OPINION

By Chhay Sophal

What is ICT?
It’s the abbreviation of “Information & Communication Technology”

It sounds complicated not only for most of the Cambodian women but also men, beyond the Information Technology (IT). ICT is the art of communicating and sharing information through a computer system. It’s a fast and very powerful tool to post and get the global issues. Because of ICT, nothing can be hidden and cannot be solved in our world. Through the World Wide Web (WWW) or Web Portal and Blogs, we can establish networks to learn and share experiences, lessons learnt, and best practices to each other. With ICT, we’re ready for positive changes of individuals, families, communities, and the whole society. With E-communication/online communication, we can fast exchange our views.

Cambodia’s widely known as one of the least development nations. To remove such unpopular name from the world list, capacity building is the key part that the Royal Government, especially the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Veterans, in the fourth mandate and NGOs must put into their strategic and operational plans. And capacity building must think about gender equality. Most of the Cambodian women still rely on their spouses in terms of family business and finance. Husbands are the breadwinners and sometimes making decision without consulting with their wives. After marriage, women are responsible for housework, especially looking after children and cooking. They have no chance to take their knowledge to apply in the outside world. Due to the country’s cultural norm deeply rooted in the Cambodians’ concepts, low education, lacking of accessibility to information, and law enforcement, sexual harassment, rape, violent, cheating, sexual exploitation and trafficking, stigma and discrimination still exist in the current Cambodian society. But now, we need a change for our progress, dignity, and prosperity. When women are empowered with IT knowledge and more accessibility to ICT, they get lots of useful information to improve their life quality wherever they are. Through their dialogues on Web Portal and Blogs, women can find solutions to problems, obstacles and challenges they’re facing. Through ICT, women can be aware of, for instance, having sex and marriage at young age can badly affect to their reproductive health. With ICT, women can understand about safe sex without getting HIV transmission and other Sexual Transmission Diseases. When women are healthy, their families are healthy with happiness and the society is also in the same situation.

Notably, countries taking the policy of gender equity and their citizens can equally access to ICT are the open societies with democracy, human rights respect, and rule of law. Women can make a good society. For instance, children are closer and friendlier with mothers than fathers. When mothers have high knowledge and good advices, the children will become the good kids and good citizens in the society. Women, therefore, are the most important developing partners in both inside and outside families. With ICT, women know what’s happening around them so that they can prevent themselves, their families and communities.

To reach these, women must get training and capacity strengthening on IT, especially the basis of computer system. With IT, women can access to WWW or Web Portal and create their Blogs. However, women must have strong commitment to build their capacity. While human resource’s provided to women, all school-aged girls must also be sent to school. Parents must send daughters to school and provide them equal opportunity with the sons to get general knowledge and IT.

That’s why IT knowledge and accessibility to ICT are the essential parts of women’s participation in development. It’s time for women to take ICT in the IT era.

AIDS education in driving schools and buses

A bus taking passengers from Battambang province to Phnom Penh on 20 September played DVD on Mr. Bean to entertain its passengers. The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation wants to insert spots on HIV and AIDS during the entertainment.

By Chhay Sophal
In an effort to raise public awareness on HIV and AIDS
and to bring the country’s AIDS prevalence down from 0.9%,
the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation has started
cooperating with both state and private driving schools.
It is also finding partners or donors to produce some
spots to be shown on public buses.

In his session on the second day of the three-day 3rd National AIDS Conference, Mr. Vann Than, official from Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, said that as part of its National Operational Plan, the ministry plans to have such projects nationwide. “Between 1,500 and 2,000 people get licenses from the driving schools every month just only in Phnom Penh capital. This is a bit huge number. It is therefore a good opportunity to raise awareness for them. If the driving students fail to answer the questions on AIDS, they cannot pass the exam to get the license,” he said. There are more than 10 driving schools in Phnom Penh, and most of them have their branches in provinces, he added.

According to Mr. Vann Than, the ministry also wants to have a project to produce spots on HIV and AIDS and the spots will be shown on buses taking passengers from Phnom Penh to provinces. “Each bus has VCD and DVD players. So the drivers can show the spots to their passengers, a big part of raising awareness on the epidemics and its effect. But such project we need partners and donors.”

There are several private public transportations and thousands of passengers travel on them daily, according to Mr. Vann Than.

Govt. official: Prostitution crackdown and AIDS prevention need to be reconciled

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Council of Minister Sok An gives his remark at the closing 3rd National AIDS Conference.

By Chhay Sophal

In a demonstration of his understanding of some of the challenges in responding to HIV that have arisen due to the country’s new law on “Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation”, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An has urged AIDS workers to send a joint-appropriate request to the royal government to help review the law.

Speaking in his closing remarks on the final day of the three-day 3rd National AIDS Conference on 12 September, H.E Sok An, who is also Minister of the Council of Ministers, said he really understands the difficulties that strict implementation of the law causes for AIDS workers who work for HIV prevention through condom use

The anti-trafficking law was launched on 15 February this year with the aim of cracking down on crimes of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The controversial article 23 states: “Prostitution in this law shall mean having sexual intercourse with an unspecified person or other sexual conduct of all kinds in exchange for any value”.

Since the launching of the law, sex workers and AIDS activists have expressed their concerns over local police warning owners of karaoke parlors, night clubs, bars and hotels that they will be finned if their premises contain condoms. According to reports of a few NGOs, since the inception of the law many brothels have closed and sex workers are in hiding while people are afraid of talking openly about or displaying condoms. The reports said such law enforcement affects the 100 % of condom use program, and may lead to the widespread of HIV and AIDS. Some sex workers also made complaints that they were arrested by local police and asked for money for their releases.

On 4 June, a group of sex workers gathered in Phnom Penh to urge the government and lawmakers to revise the law. As a result of this law, they said, sex workers are being arrested, detained, fined and forced out of their jobs. According to the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STDs (NCHADS), there are an estimated 3,430 direct sex workers and 13,723 indirect sex workers in Cambodia.

In his reaction, H.E Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said that sex workers had to prove that his police had committed such acts in order for the ministry to take legal action to punish them.

Based on the country’s roper custom, culture, reputation and dignity, Deputy Prime Minster So An said, prostitution is unacceptable. He, however, recognized the truth that prostitution is everywhere around the world, including Cambodia, and that “the crackdown and complete elimination of prostitution in the current situation is an absolutely impossible mission”.

Sok An said he also learnt that police had arrested some women who have condoms as police suspected that they are sex workers. Because of this, he said, sex workers are hiding in secret places where they cannot access condoms, which leads to HIV transmission. He said he had talked to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng to find an effective way for crackdown on prostitution that does not affect HIV prevention.

Sok An’s reaction was made after Ms. Erin Soto, Mission Director of USAID/Cambodia, had mentioned in her opening remark at the first day of the conference that the 100% condom use program would only remain effective if “condoms are available in all entertainment establishment”. She said cooperation is needed to “ensure implementation of the new anti-trafficking legislation does not hinder the continued success of HIV prevention program”.

Sok An compared the law enforcement and HIV prevention to taking medicine for health. “If we take much Aspirin to release headache, it can affect stomach. It is the same. If we strictly implement the law it can affect HIV prevention. Therefore, prostitution crackdown and AIDS prevention must go together. While we are keeping the country’s cultural value, we also want to have HIV prevention in the country at the same time”.

Cambodian journalists get Award for AIDS reporting

H.E Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Council of Ministers, hands over an appreciation letter and a symbol of US$1,000 bill to one of the three winners. H.E Dr. Mom Bun Heng (left), Health Ministry Secretary of State, and Tony Lisle (right), UNAIDS Country Coordinator to Cambodia.

By Chhay Sophal

On 12 September at the closing of the 3rd National AIDS Conference, KHANA offered the “Purple Award” to three Cambodian print journalists for their best articles on HIV and AIDS. The winners got US$1,000 with a Parker pen and an appreciation letter each and the Award was honorably handed over by H.E Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Cabinet Ministry.

The award aims at encouraging the Cambodian journalists to actively participate in reducing the impact of HIV and AIDS through their news articles. According to the terms of the competition, the articles must address categories related to HIV and AIDS, such as increasing awareness and education, reducing stigma and discrimination, and showing compassion to People Living with HIV and those who are affected by AIDS in the country.

Twenty four articles from fifteen local working journalists were sent to KHANA for competition. The articles had already been printed in their newspapers and magazines between 1 December, 2006 and 31 October, 2007. According to the original plan, the award ceremony was to have taken place at the World AIDS Day of 1 December, 2007. It was delayed, however, as KHANA wanted to organize it for the 3rd National AIDS Conference.

Six judges -- three are AIDS activists from both governmental and non-governmental organizations and three others are professional journalists -- properly and fairly marked the articles in three steps and on different criteria: general concepts on HIV and AIDS based on accuracy, language use, journalism writing craft, using news sources and vocabulary.

Mr. Puy Kea, a Phnom Penh-based correspondent of Japan’s Kyodo News and one of the judges, said that, though the three selected articles do not reach international journalism standards, they represent the best articles on AIDS among the 24 articles submitted. He said that this indicates the first step that the Cambodian journalists take part in competition. “Learning from this competition, I think journalists will take their past experience and try their best for the next competition,” he added.

It is the first time that KHANA offered award to journalists since its establishment in 1996.

UNAIDS Official: Prevention is urgently needed in Cambodia

Tony Lisle, UNAIDS Country Coordinator to Cambodia, delivers his remark at the 3rd National AIDS Conference on 10 September while H.E. Sok An (far left), Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Council of Ministers, looks on.

By Chhay Sophal

At Cambodia’s 3rd National AIDS Conference in Phnom Penh in September, Tony Lisle, UNAIDS Country Coordinator to Cambodia, said AIDS prevention in the country is the key to stopping new infections, and without it the country will face a crisis in treatment in the long run.

“The implications of HIV prevention failure are clear: unless we act now, treatment queues will get longer and longer and it will become more and more difficult to get anywhere near universal access to antiretroviral therapy,” Tony said in his opening remark at the three-day conference on 10-12 September. He said that, though the treatment imperative remains as strong as ever, the best way in the long run to stop people from getting AIDS is to reduce new infections “in the first place.”

Tony affirmed that the Cambodians aged 10-24 represent about 36% of the country’s population, or 4.6 million people, and need innovative prevention. He also said that the country’s vulnerable groups, such as sex workers, men who have sex with men and drug users, are at high risk and prevention must be improved. “Cambodia continues to witness serious concentrated epidemics among these populations. We are now seeing patterns of ‘double or triple risk’ behaviour; for instance MSM and sex workers who inject drugs and who also sell sex to men and women. Additionally, HIV prevention coverage for all of these populations remains unacceptably low.”

Tony said IEC, posters and billboards are not going to reach the target groups. He argued that “social and behavioural communications and sex education programming need to be relevant and innovative; only then will we be able to establish the foundation for generation of HIV-Free adults”.

The most effective way to achieve effective prevention is through the 100% condom use program. Speaking in his open remarks, H.E. Sok An, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Council of Ministers also urged promotion of the 100% condom use program.

In her speech at the Conference, Erin Soto, Mission Director of USAID/Cambodia, expressed her appreciation of the Cambodian government for its close work with “the donor community, civil society and NGOs, implemented the 100% Condom Use Program, which is saving lives.” She said the next step for the Cambodian government is “to ensure the sustainability of its HIV/AIDS programs through increased budget allocation”.

Though the rate of Cambodian adult prevalence has declined from 2% in 1998 to 0.9% in 2006, AIDS experts warned that if prevention is not taken as a priority the country could see a second wave of infections. Over 29,000 Cambodian people are now taking ARV medication.