Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - May 27, 2009
Charoenluck Phetpradub
Children under the foundation's care face discrimination from directors and teachers at some schools and have been barred from studying at the establishments, said Suthasinee Noi-In, the founder of Ban Home Hug.
The schools fear many parents will not allow their children to mingle with HIV-infected children, she said.
Ms Suthasinee said three HIV-infected children from Ban Home Hug had been asked to leave a kindergarten in a northeastern province. Another HIV-infected boy who was about to start Mathayom 1 (Grade 7) was rejected by the school.
The discrimination faced by these HIV-infected children comes after their lives at Ban Home Hug were made public.
The discrimination against HIV-infected children shows the failure of the Public Health Ministry's campaign to create better public understanding of HIV/Aids, Ms Suthasinee said.
"The ministry's campaign to educate people on the issue has failed. Many people, even knowledgeable people like teachers, still lack understanding of this disease," she said.
Her foundation wanted to fight for the rights of the children who were rejected by the schools. But she refused to name the schools.
Suntharee Hatthi-Sengking, secretarygeneral of a network of NGOs in the Northeast, said all children, including those infected with HIV, had the right to an education.
Chuanchom Sakonthawat, director of the Aids Institute at Khon Kaen University, said that despite the policy to eradicate discrimination against HIV/Aids sufferers, the problem still exists. Public health authorities in the provinces must urgently tackle the discrimination faced by HIV-infected children, she said.
Founded in 1989, Ban Home Hug, also known as the Suthasinee Noi-In Foundation for Children and Juveniles, takes care of abandoned children, including those infected with HIV and victims of sexual abuse.
A total of 115 children - 55 boys and 60 girls - are now under its care. Of these, 86 are studying at 21 schools in Surin, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Yasothon, Khon Kaen and Bangkok.
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