The UN agency, UN-AIDS has called for the lifting of travel restrictions on HIV positive people. The restrictions are still in place in 52 countries, including 15 in the Asia Pacific region. There are complete entry bans on HIV-positive visitors in 11 countries, including Singapore and China. Other restrictions including the refusal of residency rights remain elsewhere, including Australia and New Zealand. The call for bans and restrictions to be lifted was made by UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe, at the Inter-parliamentary Union meeting in Bangkok, which brought together 680 lawmakers from 128 countries supporting the move.

Presenter: Ron Corben
Speakers: Suksma Ratri, Indonesian born AIDS activist; Theo-Ben Gurirab, speaker of Namibia's National Assembly as well president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; UNAIDS executive director, Michele Sidibe

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CORBEN: There are over 50 counties in the world that maintain restrictions or travel entry bans on people living with the AIDS virus.
But a new effort has been made by the Inter-parliamentary Union together with the United Nations AIDS or UNAIDS to overcome the stigma for those with HIV when wanting to travel abroad.

In the Asia Pacific countries and regions maintaining some form of restrictions on those with HIV include Australia, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and New Zealand.

Suksma Ratri is an Indonesian born AIDS activist now working in Malaysia - and who has been known to be HIV positive since May 2006.

SUKSMA RATRI: I myself am living in a country with travel restrictions. I live in Malaysia, I work in Malaysia but Malaysia has two sets of policies. One is if you are a low skilled migrant worker like cleaning service, domestic workers, janitors then you have to undergo a mandatory HIV testing before you enter the country, then upon arrival you also have to do a retest. But I am a professional skilled worker so they consider me as an expatriate. So as an expat I don't have to go through the same regulation.

CORBEN: But for Suksma Ratri it also means she is unable to have access to Malaysia's medical system as with each extended visit to a hospital blood is taken and tested for AIDS.

SUKSMA RATRI: The health system in Malaysia is if you have any illnesses they will test your blood. They will give you a complete blood test anyway, whether it actually necessary or not. So if I fell sick then I can't go to the hospital in Malaysia. If they find out I'm HIV positive they will deport one immediately.

CORBEN: Theo-Ben Gurirab is speaker of Namibia's National Assembly as well president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. He believes the campaign to overturn legislative travel entry bans on HIV people need to be undertaken seriously.

THEO-BEN GURIRAB: We're in this struggle together - we are talking specifically about lifting of a ban on people confirmed or suspected of HIV AIDS status - this is a campaign that we should wage the way we wage struggles and campaigns for freedom. Very often governments do things out of ignorance. So the campaign for public for public education, public awareness is something we must work together at all levels to continue. Stigmatization is there. There are laws in some countries - we must as parliamentarians as governments ensure that they are removed from the statutory books.

CORBEN: UNAIDS executive director, Michele Sidibe, has faith the parliamentarians attending the IPU conference can have an influential baring on those governments where restrictions still exist.

SIDIBE: I am more and more convinced that parliamentarians or members of the government they are influencing a social debate in many places. They are trying to make sure that we open the space for public accountability and for me that is the reason why I was going to the Inter-parliamentary Union to bring this issue to the table. You know for me is the same like any other human right violation because for me when you are HIV positive and coming in one country and you have to hide your status, you have to hide your drugs and you make sure that you will not be taken by police and put in the corner of the jail because you are HIV positive.

CORBEN: I asked Suksma Ratri if she was optimistic the IPU and UNAIDS campaign would succeed.

SUKSMA RATRI: Well I do have a high expectation for IPU because the members of IPU are prominent countries and I hope since the campaign was led by the executive director of UNAIDS and the President of the IPU. I hope it will have a great impact and everyone will go back to their country and start to think and reconsider about the whole policy and finally remove that - that's my expectation - I do have quite high expectations from this meeting, from this campaign today.

Source:ABC