From: kamol@munnari.oz.AU (Kamol Hengkietisak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: June 9: Meechai warns against AIDS spectre
Date: 23 Jul 92 06:10:06 GMT
Organization: Mail/News gateway

`Mr Condom' warns AIDS spectre
 
     Jomtien, Pattaya -- Prime Minister's Office Minister Mechai 
Viravaidya said yesterday he would resign if the Government failed 
to provide him an adequate budget to wage an effective campaign 
against AIDS.
     "I am not threatening Prime Minister Anand (Panyarachun). I 
like to work with him. He is a good leader, but it's a question of 
personal commitment. I have made a proposal to the Government and 
if it's rejected, we have to go separate ways," he said.
     Speaking on the last day of the Second National AIDS Seminar, 
Mr Mechai said the 1,300 million baht proposed for the AIDS 
awareness campaign by various government agencies was slashed by 
47 per cent.
     "There is no cure. There is no vaccine for AIDS. The only 
protection we have is education," he said.
     Mr Mechai complained that soon after the Anand I 
administration ended its term the budget for key ministries 
involved in the fight against the deadly disease was drastically 
cut.
     The Education Ministry, which with its nationwide network 
could contribute considerably to educate and promote AIDS 
awareness among students, suffered a cut of 85 per cent. It sought 
100 million baht but received only 14.53 million.
     Similarly the Local Administration Department proposal was 
trimmed down from 120 million baht to 33.4 million baht, a cut of 
72 per cent; the Community Development Department received 6.11 
million against the proposed 18 million baht; the Police 
Department's proposal was reduced 77 per cent from 11 million to 
three million baht; and the Labour Welfare and Protection 
Department, which sought five million baht received 3.13 million.
     Even universities were not spared. Chiang Mai University 
sought 32.62 million but got only six million baht; Khon Kaen 
University five million against the proposed 22.8 million baht; 
Mahidol University received nine million baht, a 75 per cent cut 
from the 35.9 million it had sought; while Chulalongkorn 
University, which sought 83.3 million baht received only 15 
million baht.
     Mr Mechai said Thailand has two years to stop the HIV virus 
from infecting an estimated 2-4 million people by the year 2000. 
"If we work on it now, we can stop the spread by 75 per cent."
     The minister said he plans to raise the issue with the 
Premier and concerned officials, and within two months, if no more 
budget is allocated, he would resign.
     "It is the duty of the Government and of all of us here to 
stop AIDS. Who will take the responsibility for not doing enough 
when AIDS has spread throughout the country?
     "I don't think people involved in the decision-making (to cut 
the budget) have bad intentions, but they may not fully grasp the 
gravity of the situation," he said.
     The minister stressed "the budget is worth the task at hand".
     Mr Mechai said, if allowed to spread at the current rate, the 
immuno-deficiency virus will devastate the country.
     "We can build hospitals, but there will never be enough 
beds," he said.
     He reiterated the need for private sector participation in 
the fight against the deadly virus and asked the Government to 
stop worrying about tourists not coming to Thailand because the 
tourism trade exacts a heavy price on the country, especially the 
dignity of Thai women.
     "We do not want tourist money. We don't need to be called 
`Thailand: The sex capital'."