Hillary praises Thai efforts

Hillary praises Thai efforts

CHIANG MAI, Thailand (AFP): U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton yesterday praised Thai efforts to deal with refugees, AIDS and the sex trade, but stressed the importance of government action.

On a two-day tour of northern Thailand, Clinton also referred to neighboring Myanmar, where she urged "real political dialog" between the junta and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

In a speech at Chiang Mai University, Clinton paid tribute to programs tackling family planning and child prostitution. However, she noted, lay people rather than government officials were in the front line.

Citing new legislation specifying jail terms for those who made money from child prostitution, the U.S. first lady urged the Thai government to live up to its policies and promises.

These included a national master plan to eradicate commercial sex exploitation of women, which has also been allocated more than US$160 million, she said.