The Empower Foundation, a sex workers advocacy group, will sell its members' services to raise funds to support their participation in the 12th National Seminar on Aids after financial support was cut for this year's version.

Empower director Chantawipa Apisuk said yesterday that every year the foundation's 18 networks were sponsored by the Public Health Ministry to send 45 members each, or 810 in total, to join the seminar.

However, they were told on May 16 that the event organiser would not sponsor the network participants but only 10 speakers from each network, she said.

The foundation put out a newsletter promoting 45 members nationwide, particularly at foreign customers. The hope to make Bt3,000Bt3,500 each, or Bt135,000 in total.

Chiang Mai Empower coordinator, Pornpit Phakmai, said the sex workers were offering Bt1,000 for short time and Bt2,000 for long time, or overnight, to some 135 customers within the 11 days until the opening of the threeday event at Impact Muang Thong Thani on Wednesday.

Somchai Chakraphan, directorgeneral of the Disease Control Department, said the organiser received a lot less money to host the event this year, about only Bt2 million, which was not sufficient to do like before.

The department had contacted all networks to hear their problems and provide initial assistance, he said.

The event was aimed at reducing new HIV/Aids cases by half within three years until 2011.

The prime minister would preside over the opening ceremony.
 

Source: The Nation. Thailand