Suu Kyi urges an end to discrimination against people living with HIV

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended the 8th anniversary of the memorial lighting prayer service for people who have died from HIV/AIDS held at Inn Yar Lake Hotel last week.

Speaking at the memorial service, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi urged people not to discriminate against people with HIV.

Speaking at the ceremony, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said.

“People who dare to face these challenges are being discriminated by those who are cowards. In our world people are different, but we have to live and exist together with our different problems and weaknesses
– there are no excuses for treating people unequally.”

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that people need educating to vanquish discrimination and responsibility lies with government officials to raise awareness.

The ceremony was attended by around 200 people including the officials from AIDS and Venereal Diseases counteracted department and the United Nations Organizations, the politics parties, the Local Non-government Organizations (LNGO) and the CBOs. The prayer service include worship in Hinduism, Christian, Islam, and Buddhism and they prayed for the deceased AIDS patients.

A member of social network group who attended the event said.

“I am delighted that A May Suu [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] is giving us encouragement in her speech. I hope the situation will become like what A May Suu has said.”

HIV/AIDS education groups, INGOs and social network groups have held the memorial prayer service in Burma since 2005.