Victims of human trafficking to testify at AIDS congress

In conjunction with the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) being held in Nusa Dua, 22 victims of human trafficking, violence, exploitation and HIV from six Southeast Asian countries will testify in a mock trial at the Southeast Asia Courts of Women on HIV and Human Trafficking.

The testimony will be the 37th held in Southeast Asia, an organizer said Tuesday.

“The core of this court is to promote public awareness that any violence or transmission of HIV/AIDS, especially involving women, is not a private issue,” the International Coordinator for the Court of Women, Corinne Kumar, said.

In many regions in Southeast Asia, women suffering from violence or living with HIV/AIDS are stigmatized and forced to endure a socially imparted sense of shame.

Kumar said that in the upcoming court, speakers from Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia and Singapore would share their stories as well as provide analytical narrations to inform the public about the nature and cause of their discrimination.

“From this court, the public will be able to acquire knowledge, not just in the logical sense but also in a compassionate sense. They can learn intuitive knowledge about violence, human trafficking and HIV direct from the sources,” she said.

In the court, Nitha, an Indonesian woman seeking a job in the United Arab Emirates, will share her experience as a victim of human trafficking. Another victim, Rina from Myanmar, will detail her story of being abused by a human trafficking ring.