Myanmar official warns of HIV, AIDS

Myanmar official warns of HIV, AIDS

YANGON (DPA): A senior military leader in Myanmar (Burma) has
acknowledged in a published article for the first time that
HIV/AIDS poses a threat to his country, official sources
disclosed on Tuesday.

"HIV, AIDS. It's a national cause. If we ignore it, it will be
the scourge that will destroy entire nations," said the junta's
First Secretary Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt in an interview with the
Myanmar Times, a weekly newspaper.

Khin Nyunt's statement was in stark contrast to his remarks in
October, 1999, when he claimed the AIDS scare was being used by
the junta's political enemies to "attack Myanmar."

Myanmar's ruling military regime has been widely criticized
for its stance of "denial" about the spread of HIV/AIDS,
especially in its border areas where drug abuse and prostitution
are common.

While the UNAIDS program has estimated that more than 440,000
people in Myanmar have the virus, the government's estimate is
close to 25,000.