Speaker 6:
a lady working in entertainment filed, from Women Network for Unity (WNU) comes up and started to complain in her first speech that; police always disturbed or arrested the prostitutes who are working on the garden parks. She knows that prostitution is illegal but it is also her real life. Prostitution can make her survive. She has no choice. One case she mentioned as a case in her speech was; a girl was arrested by the police and then sent to, so called; ?Prey Spue? a reeducated center. When she was released back, she becomes up normal and worse condition. She does not know what happened on her. So she suggested finding a solution for those who are working as prostitutions.
Speaker 7:
a woman from Vithey Chivit (VC) asked for help only for her children who haven?t been attending school and other children in her community. The main causes are lack of food, discrimination and low income. She mentioned that providing food can make her family survive. She again asked for food support.
a women form ADIFE, an NGO working in HIV & AIDS program in Svayrieng. She complained again and again of pull off foods support in her community. Nearly half of PLHIV were cut off from food support. Usually, PLHIV don't know the reason why the food support was cut off and nobody tells them exactly why. She told the NGOs dealing with HIV & AIDS programs that she is surviving with the food and nutrition support, so cutting off food support means killing her and her family.
After the speech of the speaker who was the representatives of the community and NGOs from the provinces, Mr. Hout Totim was invited to present the charter of demands. There are 21 points of suggestions and concerns which was collected in a meeting, a day before the campaign. (More detail of each point is attached with the report. It was translated from Khmer to English by Mr. Heng Sambath, Coordinator of CACHA).
Mr. Kem Ley, a guest speaker from HACC considered four points related to HIV & AIDS filed in his speech. First, he mentioned about; HIV & AIDS program implementation which was a success but the HIV & AIDS law practicing it is ineffective, causing acute stigma and discrimination. He suggested that those who discriminate PLHIV should be punished. Second, he claimed that NGOs which are working on HIV & AIDS program, especially NGOs working on improving quality of life for PLHIV, are not united. Third, the corruption within NGOs working on HIV & AIDS is also a major problem, for instance the NGO staffs are more interested in increasing their own salary rather putting the money into the program for implementation. The final point, he focused on the policy, especially in the strategy operation procedure (SOP). For more details about this policy you can contact Mr. Kem Ley, Executive Directly of HACC, by e-mail: hacc@hacccambodia.org or Phone: 012 787084. Regarding a slogan called ?End Donors conditionally?, Mr. Kem Ley said that; it should be conditioned on the NGOs by the donors, otherwise the flow of the funding will go to the wrong direction which means corruption. So, in order to stop the corruption within the NGOs society, conditioning by the donors on fund flowing should be implemented.
Mr. Seng from NCHAD; ?we should join hands to solve the problem together because we all here have great experiences to do that?. Based on what the PLHIV complained in their talks, they showed two pictures of their problems which are lack of medicines and foods. However, NCHAD has cooperated with many relevant NGOs to solve those problems through home based care program. As the result, 28,000 PLHIV received the services and it is a success story. Moreover, NCHAD had set up a Health System for all and there are 49 in the process of operation providing ARV and OI. NCHAD also wanted to confirm that NCHAD is not responsible for community work but NGOs. In his last speech, Mr. Seng mentioned that; naturally, in working condition there are two directions parallel with each other that are: Advantage and Disadvantage. The results so far in HIV & AIDS field is a success story, means we gained more advantage than disadvantage. Even though, from now on we all together have to join hand and solve the problem together and do whatever we can as soon as possible. Therefore, we have to unite.
Mr. Ly Chansophal from KHANA was the last guest speaker on the event. Interestingly, he started his talk with the exercise and promised to order the 500 hand bags from PLHIV?s NGOs for KHANA conference. Briefly about KHANA, he said that; KHANA covered work within 16 provinces and towns and there are 60 partners cooperating with it. ?No PLHIV, no KHANA, no HACC, no CPN+, and no this campaign. So, what the PLHIV concerning is our responsibility?, he said. He added; KHANA will take what PLHIV suggested to put into KHANA meeting.
After the guest speaker finished his speech, a song called ?a voice of PLHIV? was started by an MB girl band.
Questions and Answers
Started from Ms. Prey Phally Poung, from Women Agenda for Change (WAC); she did not question the guest speakers but responded to what Mr. Kem Ley, a first guest speaker said about the message on the slogan, so called ?End Donors Conditionally?. Mr. Kem Ley providing the explanation in a wrong way to what the message on slogan wants to say. Ms. Phoung responded by providing an example that; when Cambodia need ARV?s second line supports the donors normally says ?Yes?, but conditionally, donors suggested Cambodia to buy the medicines from the rich countries such as America and European countries. So, the problem is on the price, means we have to buy the medicine at very high prices. At the same time, Phoung suggested that; if the donors want to help Cambodia they should provide technical support, in order to make sure that Cambodia has ability to produce by its own. Cambodia really can produce their own medicines, but we only need technical support.
Question from Mr. Seng Sary, from IRD: based on the charter of demands the main problem is on food shortage, but the guest speakers did not respond clearly about that. He asked that; there are cutting off the rice support from PLHIV and it will continually the same process. According to CACHA World AIDS Day Campaign last year, Mrs. Heng Mory from World Foods Program (WFP) said that; it will not be cutting off the rice support from PLHIV but because of the increasing PLHIV, the rice support will not be enough for all and a policy will be set up for solving this problem, that is ?In and Out Policy?. So, what happened to the cut off rice support recently?
Answer from Mr. Samnang from WFP: he answered in short that; he is new in his position but may be the cut off rice support is in the process of implementing of, so called ?In and Out Policy?.
Question from an entertainment service provider: She asks for clear explanation of the new law on prostitution. ?Does a new law allow prostitutes to work legally?? she asked.
Answer from NCHAD: No, but there is in the compromising between the government and NGOs to solve this problem.
Mr. Heng Sokrithy, a National Coordinator of CPN+ was invited by Mrs. Kheng Sophal, MD, to give a speech. He smiled and responded softly by reviewing what the PLHIV asked and complained. He promised that; CPN+ will recheck again in order to respond to what PLHIV criticized, especially in the case of partisanship.
Because the limited of the time, a last question for participant was allowed. Immediately, Ms. Sreypouv, from PWHO comes up and asked directly to Mr. Representative from Red Cross (RC); could the RC be able to respond for rice support for PLHIV in Cambodia? Answer from Mr. Om Vutharo, Deputy Manager of RC HIV/AIDS program. Started with a brief of RC backgrounds and responded to the question that; it is not on my decision but the decision is on the high level RC officers. However, he will take this problem and submit to high level officers of RC to make a consideration.
* The Candle Light Day or Global Aids Week of Action and Memorial Day took whole morning from 7:30 am until 11:00 am, and the campaign finished by providing a box of lunch for each participant.
** Only the participant can be able to make comments and add more information for this report.
Report writer, Seng Sary, IRD
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