Palm Trees Remains Severely Destroying

By Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

Although the palm trees are designated by the King Norodom Sihamoni and the Prime Minister Hun Sen as the Cambodia’s national and symbolic tree to be protected from destroying, they remains illegally being cut down almost every day for local and commercial uses in Cambodia saying NGO officers and government officials.

Pok Leak Reasey, Executive Director of the Association of the Palm Tree Conservation for Cambodian Development, said that, “The destructions of the palm trees are as much as the forests’ destruction in Cambodia, they remains being cut illegally in some provinces of Cambodia.”

Leak Reasey, whose organization is a local non-profit organization which aimed at conserving the heritage of palm trees in Cambodia, said that nowadays, palm trees destroying still occurring in some provinces including Kandal, Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, Takeo and Kampot.

“Now, I am worried that if there is no any protecting measure to be taken by the government, palm trees will be lost completely in 2020 from this country,” Leak Reasey expected.
He told the Cambodia Weekly that most of the illegal palm tree cutting was occurring very seriously in Kandal and Kampong Speu provinces due to the land price in those areas were expensive. He explained that the farmers sold the lands to middlemen, and then the middlemen continued to sell that land to other businessmen, but in order to get benefit, the middlemen had to fill up the land and clear all the trees including palm trees on the lands.

“Since the lands in Kandal and Kampong Speu province have been become the industrial and economic zones, either farmers or businessmen who owns lands nearby the National Roads Number 3 and 4 have been cutting palm trees illegally in order to sell their lands to other business people.”

He said that, “The palm trees like the pots for cooking rice of the farmers who use palm trees as their traditional occupations. Thus, the palm tree illegal cutting is a big loss for Cambodia including budget, culture and national symbol.”

He added that the reason why the palm trees still continued being destroyed because there was no any strict action or measures being taken by competent or local authorities. And on the other hand, local authorities thought that palm trees are people’s individual property that’s why they did not care about the cutting.

Va Moeurn, Executive Director of the Mlup Baitong Organization which is a local environmental non-profit organization, said that palm tree is the symbolic of Cambodia, some of palm trees having height over 30 meters and aged not less than 100 years.
Moeurn said, ”Where the palm tree is, that’s where Cambodia is.”

Furthermore, he said, “Palm tree has many usefulness and multiple benefits for the farmers. It has its high regard among all Cambodians, especially farmers in this country where 80 percent of the population are farmers.”

He explained that the palm tree is used for constructing houses, making boats, bridges and other things while its fruits for producing palm wine, sugar, juice, syrup, vinegar and jam. And its leaves are used for baskets or other handicrafts.

Puth Kim, Former Governor of Samrong Tong district in Kampong Speu province, said that since 1979 till 2000, about 80 percent of farmers in his district had been generated a lot of incomes from the palm trees every year.

Kim, who is now 67 years old and is a retired district official, said that as traditionally, the people had two different kind of jobs in his district. They planted the rice in rainy season and they climbed palm trees to take fresh water and producing sugar palms in dry season.
“But, after the palm trees were cut down illegally they were lost their daily occupation and are unemployed. Nowadays, in order to find work, most of the people left their homes to find works in cities or neighboring countries.”

He recognized that at least 70 percent of palm trees were recently destroyed and cut down for local and commercial uses in Kampong Speu province.
Sak Sareth, 43, farmer living in Ang Snual district, Kandal province, said that now, he had no work to do in drying season after his land was sold to a foreign trader and his 15 palm trees on that land were cut down by the businessman.

Before, when he owns the 15 palm trees, Sareth reminded that he could earn at least 10,000 riel [about $2.5] from selling fresh palm juice and earn 400,000 riel per month from selling sugar palm.
“Now, besides planting rice, I do nothing. I cannot make extra money to support my family,” he added.

Um Ry, 44, another farmer living in Thnal To Teung District, in Kampong Speu Province, said that he also lose his daily business after his 20 palm trees were cut down in 2004.
Ry who is now a construction worker in Phnom Penh, also said before he could earn about $1,000 per year from palm trees, but now he earned only 8,000 riel per day from the construction work.

According to Khieu Borin, Director-General of the Ministry of Commerce, estimated that the production life of each palm tree can produce juice for more than 70 years.
Borin recognized that each year, for male palm tree could be collected its juice for three months, and female palm tree from five to six months. The average yield of each palm tree is 5 kg juice per day.

Borin said according to statistic in 1995 that there were 8,000,000 palm trees throughout Cambodia. At that time, per hectare of palm trees could be produced 160,000 tons of juice or 21,600 tons of sugar (sucrose) per year.

He added that so far, the productions made from the palm trees and the sugar palm had not been exported yet because there was no international market in abroad.
Tep Bunnarith, Executive Director of the Culture and Environment Preservation Association (CEPA), said the trees could attract the foreign tourists to visit Cambodia.

Bunnarith said that, “To protect the trees from being destroyed, the government should have a law or sub-decree to manage it and planting new trees in the provinces where they are completely destroyed. Especially, it should seek to require people to apply for a permit before cutting down any palm trees.”

However, a senior official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries who asked not to be named said that his ministry planned about 50,000 palms trees to plant in seven provinces along the country’s border with Vietnam.

The Senior Government Official said the main purpose of trees planting was to conserve the palm tree which was a national symbol and culture of Cambodia.
He said, “To conserve the trees, the King Norodom Sihamoni and the Prime Minister Hun Sen had issued the royal order and sub-degree last year to be the palm tree as a Cambodia’s national and symbolic tree. With this royal order and sub-degree and our involving ministries’ actions, I think that we can save and protect our trees from being destroyed.”

According to ministry’s estimation, he said in Cambodia today, there are more three million palm trees still.

Pok Leak Reasey made his own estimation that at least 1 million palm trees in Cambodia have been cut over the past ten years for local consumption and exporting to neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

He estimated that the palm trees would lose from Cambodia in next 10 years if the Cambodian government did not have any strict actions and measures to conserve and protect it from illegal cutting.

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Jobs Market Still Limited for People with Disabilities

By Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

Cambodian people with disabilities (PWD) still face many problems, particularly in finding jobs, say Non-Governmental Organization officers and Government officials.
According to the National Institute of Statistics, 1.5 percent of Cambodia’s total population was disabled in 2003 while the 2004 CSES (census) estimated that the disability rate in Cambodia was 4.7 percent. With a 2006 population of 14 million, approximately 663,995 Cambodians have disabilities.

Thong Vinal, Executive Director of the Disability Action Council (DAC), said that PWD faced similar problems as those faced by Cambodian women generally, but they are more vulnerable due to their disabilities.
He said PWD suffered even more than the general population from limited access to basic social services, education, skills and vocational training, job placement, and income generation opportunities.

He told the Cambodia Weekly that according to research conducted by DAC, the disabled faced a wide range of difficulties including a poor standard of living (joblessness or low income work), discrimination by the community and even their own families, domestic violence, a society with a limited understanding of disability, lack of specialized health services, poor access to rehabilitation services, lack of participation in mainstream development activities and decision-making, and lack of self-confidence.

He added that many PWD were extremely poor. However, given the opportunity to generate income with meaningful work not only contributed to their sense of dignity and self-confidence, but it was also directly linked to poverty reduction and development.

He pointed out that Cambodia’s built environment contained many obstacles for PWD as well. The majority of public buildings, hospitals and schools have been built with no consideration for the needs of disabled people, and they find it difficult to navigate public thoroughfares due to obstructions, uneven and unpaved surfaces, steps, and suchlike.

Ngin Saorath, Executive Director of the Cambodia Disabled Peoples’ Organization (CDPO), painted a similarly distressing picture of life in Cambodia for the disabled.
“Most families with a disabled child do not allow the child to go to school or they insist the child stays at home to do house work,” Saorath said. “They don’t send their children to school because they feel that society will have nothing to offer them.”
One official at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation who asked not to be named said that in Cambodia today, there are a number of PWD who work with private companies, NGOs, international organizations and other institutes.

He recognized that, “Most disabled employees who had been given an opportunity for education and training were as skillful as able-bodied people. They gained promotion as quickly and earned serviceable salaries within these organizations.”
Hang Kimsan, 31, is a double amputee as a result of stepping on a landmine at fifteen years old. After becoming disabled, he had no opportunity to attend school or literacy classes. He said that since the accident, he had lost all the opportunities in his life. He was unable to find work, or make money for himself and his family was suffering. He reported that perhaps the worst part was sadness because of the wasted potential and the loneliness he experienced, forced to exist on the edge of society.

Prach Chentha, 34, and unable to walk on her weakened legs said that training and job opportunities for the disabled were limited. She said that she was able to speak English and some Mandarin, had office and administrative skills but was unable to find work with any company or other NGO.

“I used to apply for work with many organizations in Phnom Penh but so far I have been unsuccessful,” she said. “I think the reason why I am not offered work is because of my disability.”

Veng Sokha, 33, a polio sufferer said that he used to work as a marketing assistant with a private company in Cambodia. However, he was forced to resign because of disability issues.
“I worked very hard with the company but the boss said I had to go, because I could not travel to provinces. I had no choice in the matter as travel to the provinces was out of the question for me, but I thought my bosses attitude was unsupportive.”
Today, he continues to work with private organizations that are able to offer him training and appropriate work.

Thong Vinal said that in order to ensure disabled peoples’ rights and reduce employer discrimination, the DAC, in collaboration with related NGOs and government ministries has made the “Draft Law on the Rights of People with Disabilities.”
He said that the draft legislation, which consists of thirteen Chapters and seventy articles, was already submitted to the Council of Ministers for review, and will be adopted by the National Assembly in the Fourth Mandate of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

The purpose of this law was to strengthen and protect the rights and interests of people with disabilities, and to abolish discrimination, thus guaranteeing full and equal participation in all activities in society for the disabled.
He said, “I hope that after this law is passed and comes into effect, PWD will have full and equal participation in all activities in society.”

PADDY’S SPORTS CENTER HELPING KHMER KICK-BOXING BECOME EVEN STRONGER

By Buth Reaksmey Konkgea

Opening in 2000, Paddy’s Sports Center has become the biggest gym in Cambodia and despite the distinctly Western title, Cambodia’s biggest gym has become a Mecca for Professional Khmer kick-boxers.
Paddy Carson, Director of Paddy’s Sports Center, told the Cambodia Weekly that the center opened in
Cambodia early in 2000 to increase public awareness of the benefits of exercise and to promote the exciting
art of Khmer Kick-boxing. “I was teaching professional boxing in South Africa and Thailand for many years. When I came to Cambodia for my holidays in 2000, I fell in love immediately with the Cambodian people,” said Paddy Carson who is 50 years old. He continued, “I saw that as well as being gentle and companionable, Cambodians are sports fanatics, being especially enthusiastic about boxing. I knew then that this was a people I could do business with.”

He pointed out that there are alot of excellent trainers and boxers in Cambodia. Furthermore, he believes that with a little application and promotional activity from Cambodia’s sports leaders, Khmer kick-boxing would enjoy a global reputation as famous as that enjoyed by “Muay Thai” [Thai boxing].

“I was a boxer all my life. Now, my dream is to see Cambodian boxers compete and win medals in international
boxing competitions for their country,” Paddy said. “To achieve this, I am ready to give my all. I live to train Khmer boxers in preparation for the day when they will give their all to become the very best boxers for Cambodia.”

“I started boxing at 11 years old. I have learned many different styles of boxing including Karate, Kyo Kushinkai, English boxing and kick-boxing,” he added.

He continued to say that, “Khmer kick-boxing and Thai kick-boxing are very similar martial arts. I learned the basics whilst in South Africa and Thailand and then developed my own style from there. At the Paddy’s Gym, I train boxers to use a variety of styles, but concentrate on the style they are most comfortable of proficient in.”

He said that since opening sports centers in Thailand and South Africa, he has trained five world champion
kick-boxers. He hopes that his efforts here will produce a world class champion for Cambodia.

Paddy said that in order to promote and market Khmer kick-boxing, his sports center has been cooperating
with the Cambodian Boxing Federation and CTN (Cambodian Television Network) to organize “Kbach Kun
Khmer” [Khmer Traditional Boxing] and international boxing competitions every month. Experienced champion boxers are invited from abroad to fight with Cambodian boxers at the CTN’s stadium, in Cambodia.
“By holding this competition, I hope that the fearless boxers of Cambodia will gain experience of international
fights. I strongly believe that if Cambodian sports leaders work hard on this, Cambodian boxers may well surpass their famous Thai counterparts in terms of stamina and technical ability. The introduction of a national belt would go a long way in starting the process.

Suong Panha, 21, boxer andTraining Assistant for the Angkor Youth Boxing Association in Paddy’s Sports Center, said that he had been working with Paddy Carson for about two years.

Panha, whose impressive boxing record recalls 23 painful fights with 19 wins, three loses and one draw, added that, “Paddy is very knowledgeable in both universal boxing and kick-boxing. I felt that since I learned Khmer kick-boxing with him, my techniques have improved dramatically.”

Nhor Samon, 25, and another boxer, said that, “Paddy is an expert boxer. In terms of experience, interpretation
of styles and knowledge of techniques, Paddy has a lot to give. Now, I am training very hard with him in order to be a good boxer. If I perform well, I shall bring honor to him, his gym, myself and most importantly, to Cambodia. If boxing is your pleasure, then listen to Paddy; learn his techniques and you too will be a good fighter.”

Alfredo Aranton, 31, a Philippine national and keen sportsman praised Paddy’s Gym. “I like coming to train here because it is the biggest gym in Cambodia, and can guarantee sufficient quantities of quality exercise equipment which is important. A poorly designed piece of exercise equipment can be very dangerous.”

According to Paddy Carson, about 20 boxers and up to 100 people per day go to train and exercise at his sport center. It can boast weights and machines imported from the USA, boxing rings and punching bags for boxers and martial artists, cycles, treadmills, and a bewildering variety of other devices to deliver an improved physique, all under the eyes of trained instructors.

Paddy’s Sports Center is located at #635, National Road 5, about 50 meters under the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge in Phnom Penh. (CW)

More Students Enrolled in Higher Education this year

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

The number of students enrolled in colleges, institutes and universities throughout Cambodia for the study year 2007-2008 increased when compared to the study year 2006-2007, according to education officials and university officers.

Pa Meng Hok, Director of the Office of the Statistics and Information for the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, said for the study year 2007-08, enrolment of students in universities, colleges and other institutes, both private and public, had increased by two percent.

The Director, who is also an advisor to the National Assembly President, Samdech Heng Samrin and professor at the Chamroeun University of Poly-technology, said that, “This year [2007-2008], enrolment stood at 39 percent of students who finished high schools.” According to the statistics covering
bachelor degree study, for 2007-08 throughout Cambodia, there were 96,949 students enrolled in various further education establishments, 35,473 of which were female. In the previous school year, these figures stood at 92,340 with 32,490 female students.

The Director said that the duration of the average bachelor’s degree was four years, taking into account foundation year preparation, with some degrees, especially in medical subjects taking up to seven years to complete, depending on the program and the university.

Tim Bunthoeun, a lecturer at one of Phnom Penh’s universities said that increased enrollment for further education was a result of a greater number of students achieving success in their high school exams. He said most students preferred to study at private colleges, institutes or universities as the instructors were generally qualifi ed to teach their subjects and the fees were not as restrictive as those charged by state universities.

He also added that students were keen to study subjects that were both interesting and relevant to a vocation.

Por Malis, Director of Administration at the University of Cambodia (UC), said that to help Cambodia’s students take advantage of the benefits of higher education, her university offers 600 full scholarships to students who are able to pass high school exams, as well as the university’s entrance exams.

She said that the university’s scholarship fees were funded by Dr. Haruhisa Handa, President of World Mate Organization, and various other national and international benefactors.

There are 47 universities, institutes and colleges operating in Phnom Penh today, with a further 54 organizations and branch campuses operating throughout the nation. (CW)

M O R E R A R E A N D E N D A N G E R E D S P E C I E S FOUND IN CAMBODIA’S FORESTS

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

Rare and endangered species,including large mammals are being found in increasingly large numbers throughout Cambodia’s protected forests and ecotourism areas, according to Non-Government Organization
officers andGovernment offi cial. Keo Sopheak, Senior Project Officer with WWF (World Wide Fundfor Nature) Cambodia told the CambodiaWeekly that based on the evidenceof camera traps, endangeredspecies including large mammalssuch as gaur, benteng, a variety of wild buffaloes, tigers, Asian elephantsand bears were thriving in theprotected forest areas of Mondulkiri province. Sopheak has worked for eight years with WWF Cambodia,
fi ve of them in the fi eld at WWF Cambodia’s Wildlife Conservation Project based in Mondulkiri province.

Sopheak said that according to observations conducted in 2007, up to fi fty wild water buffaloes, perhaps one hundred elephants and fi ve tigers stalked the forests in Koh Nhek and Pichreada districts, Mondulkiri.

He continued, “When we brought guests to visit these protected forest areas, we rarely saw these endangered
animals. Now, when we go there, we see herds of animals grazing and the occasional tiger loitering with intent.”
“Since we based our project there, about 70 percent of the area’s endangered species have been conserved
and their survival assured. I think that if the Cambodian government has the will to protect wildlife, we can extend our conservation drives to cover all
of Cambodia’s precious wildlife,” the Wild Life Conservation Society, was able to confi rm this welcome news.
“According to our camera traps we
fi nd more examples of different kinds of endangered animals in the protected animal-forest areas on a daily basis.
It’s accurate to say that our nation has become a safe haven for the region’s endangered wildlife.”However, the Project Manager pointed out that although wild animal populations were increasing and
endangered species being conserved, some rare and endangered species were lost to Cambodia, such as the
rhino and the kou prey. Soryun explained that during Cambodia’s civil war, most of Cambodia’s stock of rare species was destroyed. That which remained fl ed, crossing the borders of Cambodia to hide and live in thick forests of neighboring countries including Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Now, Cambodia is at peace, the
shooting and illegal hunting has ended and forest areas are being conserved and protected. This has created the right environment for a welcome return of the birds and animals to their ancestral forests in Cambodia.
The single greatest threat to the wildlife of Cambodia remains hunting, both to supply the international demand
for animal products, and opportunistic hunting to serve internal or local markets.

He added that as security conditions improve,these activities, as well as logging of the remaining semi-evergreen forest is increasing rapidly. The localized and seasonal nature of essential resources such as bodies of fresh water and mineral licks also makes the illegal hunter’s job easier. Therefore, protection of these sites a necessity, if Cambodia’s biodiversity is to be preserved. According to an anonymous officer of the Forestry Administration Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, reports show that conservation projects in
Kampong Thom, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, Koh Kong, Siem Reap, Oddar Meanchey, Kratie and Mondulkiri
provinces are proving successful.The Offi cer told the Cambodia Weekly that wild animal populations
are increasing as a result of action taken to curtail the activities of illegal hunters.
In addition, the people of Cambodia understood the behavior of their native fauna and were willing to share the wisdom with concerned NGOs.

He said that all the hard work to encourage biodiversity in Cambodia was worth it, both in terms of the revenue
created by ecotourism and in terms of the sense of national wellbeing created by a beautiful, diverse and well main

Japanese Village in Cambodia during the 17th Century

By Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

A Japanese village dating back to the 17th century has been found in Ponhea Loeu district of Kandal province where around 25 to 27 kilometers north of Phnom Penh, according to a Japanese archaeologist Hiroshi Sugiyama said in a seminar on Wednesday.
Hirishi, the chief research fellow at Japan’s National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, told a hundred students who participated at the seminar that based on his research since 2004 and analyses of preliminary excavations and documents.
He said that based on the preliminary conclusion of excavations and historical documents, at lease hundreds Japanese people came to Cambodia aboard ships between 1601 and 1635, and during that period of time, most of them were engaged in religious affairs and trading.
“We have cooperated with Japanese archaeologists to work on the first research in Ponhea Loeu district. We will continue to excavate in order to find more evidence,” said Chuch Phoeun, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.
Phoeun told the Cambodia Weekly that Japanese people came to live and formed their religious temple in Cambodia during the early 16th century in order to publish their religious rule when they have a crisis happened in Thailand during the 16th century.
Hiroshi affirms that his archaeological group had found some pieces of ceramic imported from four places where the Chinese made famous ceramic products in the Republic Popular of China, and some pieces of ceramic from Japan in the 17th century.
“We found many evidences through some old documents which were wrote by Dutch national who came first and lived in this Ponhea Loeu district in early of the 16th century,” Hiroshi said. “This Dutch national wrote that the Japanese village was also there.”
Hiroshi explains that the Dutch people came to meet Cambodian king and asked permission for staying in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The king offered the Dutch people a place located in Ponhea Loeu district where the Japanese archaeologists had been excavated and found some evidences. The Dutch people later build a trading house.
He added that the king later permitted the Chinese people came to settle their village over 100 square meters next to the Dutch’s trading house. Referring to the first excavation, Japanese archaeologists found wax, sugar, carpet, feather of peacock and skin of jaguar.
According to the Dutch document said that there is a small Japanese river north of the trading house of Dutch in Kampong Loung commune because some pieces of ceramic were found during the first excavation at that area where located between Lung Vek and Oudong.
“We don’t have any document wrote about the port but after we made the first excavation we found some evidences which stated that there really has small river connected to Tonle Sap river. We are finding the budget for continue to research on the second excavation in this Kampong Loung,” said Hiroshi.

HIV/AIDS Infection Increasing in Cambodia’s Gay Community

By Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

Despite the decline of HIV/AIDS among the general population in Cambodia, it remains at worrying levels in the nation’s gay male community, according to concerned NGOs officers and government officials.

Chuob Sok Chamreun, Team Leader of the Technical Support for the Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (KHANA), said that the Cambodian gay community was still plagued by HIV/AIDS infections, as well as every other sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Chamreun continued, “According to the study, male Cambodian homosexuals must join the police, soldiers and commercial sex workers as being a section of society disadvantaged by an increased likelihood of contracting HIV/AIDS.”

A June 2007 announcement put the official estimate of HIV prevalence at 0.9 percent of the adult population aged 15 to 49. That presented a decline from the previous official estimate of 1.2 percent in 2003.

Even though the latest announcement did not detail HIV prevalence among male homosexuals, according to the National Strategic Framework and Operational Plan on STI, HIV and AIDS, which surveyed in 2005, 8.7 percent of Phnom Penh’s gay men are infected with HIV/AIDS. This compares with 0.8 percent in both the second largest city, Battambang, and the main tourism center of Siem Reap. Based on the report, HIV prevalence was significantly higher among transgender groups and gay men over 25.

In addition, it reported that 9.7 percent of Phnom Penh’s homosexuals were infected with other STIs. 7.5 percent of those in Battambang and Siem Reap are living with STI. Further, it reported that 45 percent in Phnom Penh and 84 percent in the provinces had engaged in unprotected anal sex within that past month. Chamreun said that the problem was made worse by the numbers of gay men also involved with drugs.

He explained that the invasive nature of some homosexual acts damaged the skin, thus providing a vector for infection to enter the body. The use of condoms greatly decreased the chances of infection.

Meas Chanthan, Program Officer for Sex Workers’ Education for Aids Reduction at the Urban Sector Group (USG), stated that the gay community appeared to have misunderstood the safe sex message.

To illustrate the point, Orn Sopheap, an English teacher for a private English School in Phnom Penh, said that since he became sexually active, he had had unprotected sex with at least 50 men.

“I know about safe sex and I am terrified of HIV/AIDS but I did not use condoms while with my partners as they decrease spontaneity and sensitivity,” he said.

Chanthan continued, more and more MSM (man have sex with man) were now unafraid to appear in public whereas before they always hid due to the discrimination against them. Furthermore, when he started working in 1999, there were only 27 gay men in Phnom Penh. Now that figure stands at 3,000.

Nowadays, Chanthan’s organization has been working with 500 gay men in three targeted areas. These areas include Boeung Tumpun in Meanchey district, Srah Chak Area in Daun Penh district, and Boeung Kak areas in Toul Kork district in Phnom Penh.

Ouk Dareth, 23, Community Facilitator of the Urban Sector Group’s Drop-in-Center, based in Boeung Tumpun, said that on an average day, at least 10 MSM came to get counseling and read disease prevention materials at his center.

She said that most visitors to the center were over 20 years old. They came to ask her questions about their lovers, their relationships and their health. She added that she suspected the existence of groups of homosexuals who were still too afraid to come out of the closet as they still feared discrimination.

According to the National Strategic Framework and Operational Plan for MSM, there are five strategies, including the prevention of new HIV infection, mitigation of the impact of HIV and AIDS on sufferers and their families, building and sustaining a supportive environment, strengthening the capacity of partners, and improving the collection and use of strategic information.

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