Myanmar migrants, hill tribe women face high HIV/AIDS risk: group

Asian Economic News, July 19, 2004

BANGKOK, July 14 Kyodo

A human rights group on Wednesday urged the Thai government to provide assistance to migrant women from Myanmar and Thai hill tribe women, warning they face a high risk of HIV/AIDS infection due to their lack of legal status.

Physicians for Human Rights said the women are often subject to human trafficking, sexual violence and abuse, adding illegal migrants do not dare to seek health care for fear of being arrested.

An estimated one million Myanmar migrants live in Thailand, with most of them not legally registered. There are at least 300,000 hill tribespeople in the northern and western highlands who do not hold Thai citizenship, according to PHR.

''The failure to reach these vulnerable communities is not only a failure of human rights, it is a virtual assurance that HIV/AIDS will continue to be a problem in Thailand,'' PHR's epidemiologist Christ Beyrer told a news conference at the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok.

PHR also released a report on migration, trafficking and exploitation of women in Thailand.

The report urged the Thai government to urgently implement health services and HIV/AIDS programs for Myanmar migrants and the hill tribes and provide antiretroviral treatment.