The [him] moderator applauds these two small but significant examples of good governance from the nation state south of the border. Using luxury tax money for HIV prevention isn't an innovative idea in Thailand but granting citizenship rights to refugees is ...
Govt urged to spend liquor taxes on tackling AIDS plague
Bangkok Post - February 9, 2006
Anjira Assavanonda
http://www.aegis.org/news/bp/2006/BP060203.html
An academic yesterday urged the government to raise taxes on liquor and to use
the money generated in the fight against HIV/Aids. Asst Prof Kitti Gunpai, deputy dean of the faculty of communication arts, Chulalongkorn University, said the national budget for HIV/Aids problems is too small, and the government should collect at least 2% more in liquor taxes to boost spending.
"HIV/Aids is a serious threat to our society. The 1.7-1.8 billion baht we spend
each year to combat the disease is too small compared to the scale of the problem
we're facing," said Mr Kitti at a seminar on 'TeenAIDS' yesterday.
He linked liquor, sex and Aids together in proposing the idea, saying drunkenness
could possibly end up in unsafe sex and also HIV/Aids.
He said large sums of money were collected each year from cigarettes and liquor
taxes for the health promotion fund. Unfortunately, that money is primarily
allocated to campaigns against drinking and smoking, while little is given to
HIV/Aids prevention, he said.
Besides liquor, Mr Kitti added the government might collect taxes from products
or advertisements that arouse people's sexual desire so producers would take
responsibility for their content.
Political commitment is another key factor in the fight against HIV/Aids, he said.
Any good policy would not be fully implemented if the government leader did not
show his commitment to tackling the problems.
"We have the National Aids Committee which is chaired by the prime minister. During the term of former prime minister Chuan Leekpai, he usually chaired the meeting himself, but that has not happened under the current prime minister. When the head doesn't move, the tail won't wag,"said Mr Kitti.
Senator Rabiabrat Pongpanich said the government should be more active in its
battle against HIV/Aids. The campaigns or any programmes to tackle the disease
should be ongoing, not sporadic.
A survey places teenagers as the new high-risk group with a steady increase in a
number of infections. The rate of new cases has increased by 11.2% in 2001, 11.7% in 2002 and by 15.1% in 2003.
Itthirak Samitsuwan, president of the Life and Hope Association, for people living
with HIV/Aids, said many temptations put teenagers at risk, including the internet,
pornography, and the craze for luxury and expensive items.
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Legal Status for Stateless Thais
January 11, 2005
By Sai Silp
The Thai government has decided to tackle the age-old problem of hundreds of thousands of long-staying stateless people in the country by granting many of them legal status. Some 500,000 will be given the new status, while some others may be granted full Thai citizenship.
The decision at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting will initially affect 500,000 long-term residents from nine ethnic minority communities, as well as hill tribe people and those displaced from neighboring countries. The plan, originally drawn up by the Interior Ministry, will be handled by provincial offices.
The cabinet hopes it will also make Thailand’s population census more accurate.
Many of the stateless people live in northern Thailand. Santiphong Moonfong, director of the Development Center for Children and Community Network, based in the northern town of Mae Hong Son, told The Irrawaddy the move was a good step.
“Without documents, children lose education opportunities and cannot access other public services and law protection,” he said. “This policy may help them feel more legal in Thai society.” He pointed out that Mae Hong Son province, as well as another northern province, Chiang Rai, had high rates of stateless people, as they bordered Karenni and Shan states in Burma.
These provinces, as well as Chiang Mai, have many hill tribe people who, despite living in Thailand for more than a decade, have no status because they cannot prove they were born in the country.
Pantip Kanchanajitra Saisuntorn, a lawyer who has worked among stateless people in the North for many years, commented: “The government’s policy and strategy towards this problem seems to be progressing, and is now much more visible.”
The new policy means compiling and surveying identity documents of people who are not now registered with the Thai household registration system. The data will be used to choose candidates for proper status.
But even with legal status, people would not be allowed to use the state’s 30-baht health system, which is subsidized by Thai taxpayers’ money.
Irrawaddy.org
http://www.irrawaddy.org/
