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二, 12/01/2009 - 03:29 — mnbhk
紫藤和午夜藍在世界愛滋病日 自1988年起，國際社會把每年的12月1日定為「世界愛滋病日」，向社會進行教育活動，增加對愛滋病的認識，減低對病患者的歧視。由於性工作者的工作與性有關，而性接觸是感染愛滋病的其中一個原因，故此社會大眾會認為愛滋病只存在於性工作者及嫖客等群體中。其實，「不安全性行為」才是傳播愛滋病的主要原因，任何人只要在進行性行為時沒有做好安全措施，皆有可能感染愛滋病。但正正因為上述的誤解，社會大眾才會先入為主地把性工作者及嫖客，等同於傳播愛滋病。只是這些誤解不單無助於預防愛滋病，相反使社會大眾減低對愛滋病的警覺性，無形中助長愛滋病傳播。故此，我們希望借此機會向社會說一聲︰預防愛滋病，人人有責任！期望社會能以一個正確態度看待愛滋病，消除歧視，多些支持。 對症下藥 消除歧視 在愛滋病防治領域中，六個容易受傷的群組包括性工作者。我們必須去追問，為何性工作者是容易受傷的群組？原因就是社會的歧視及污名化引起，事實上，絕大部份的性工作者認識愛滋病，也能正確使用安全套。只是周邊的危害，例如社會的歧視特別是警方在執行任務時的濫權及侵權行為，使性工作者每天陷於感染愛滋病的危機中，故此要預防愛滋病必須對症下藥。 儘管各民間團體不斷努力提倡安全性行為，香港警察卻不斷鼓勵性工作者離套工作，我們感到強烈憤怒。基於對愛滋病及性工作的歧視及偏見(香港警察尤甚)，現時，警察仍然利用安全套作為拘捕性工作者的證據。因為有套在身，惹禍上身；部份從事性工作的姐仔哥仔對性工作者團體派套不表歡迎，生怕他們收到的安全套，會成為令到他們身陷囹圄的證據。 傳播愛滋 警方元兇 法庭幫兇 法庭容許檢控一方上呈安全套，亦是傳播愛滋病幫兇。今時今日，在法庭，安全套及潤滑劑定必成為証物，這一種的法庭演出，不斷問警方是否在現場搜集到安全套安全套潤滑劑，不斷問被告你是否同意在現場搜到安全套安全套安全套潤滑劑，這無礙是成為與「安全套入罪」扣連，令社會需要理性思考︰安全套，是用來準備性行為之用，於性行為時，達至預防愛滋病及其他性病的目的。成年男女男男女女，自願性行為並不犯法，要証明是否交易，尚有很多其他的証明方法，根本無須以安全套作為入罪証據。 「要有一套」功虧一簣 在過去幾年的努力下，「要有一套」非常深入民心，香港在各項政策上，亦因應各社群的需要不斷改革，翻開《愛滋病基金信託委員會》的年報，在宣傳預防愛滋及教育方面的開支，2007年至2008年度 ,超過八百多萬($8,023,000)，2006年至2007年超過二千二百萬($22,856,000)，而2005年至2006年，超過為一仟七百萬($17,421,000)。愛滋病顧問局的出版《ACA NEWSLIFE》第181期中，曾關注上述情況，描述性工作者對警方掃蕩的恐懼與拒絕持有安全套的關係。 左手貢獻 右手摧毀 我們認為上述的投放資源和貢獻是非常值得被確立，卻心痛香港警方及法律體制一直在摧毀愛滋病的防治工作。今年年中，本港性工作者團體得到愛滋病顧問局的協助，向警察當局表達對於安全套作為拘捕性工作者證據的關注，得到的回覆卻是警察不會改變現行制度。警方為求功績，漠視性工作者感染愛滋病之危機，實在令人為之感到齒冷！ 改革法制 消除阻礙 基於由愛滋病顧問局制訂的《香港愛滋病策略二零零七至二零一一年》中附件的《重要策略文件─聯合國愛滋病規劃署、世界衞生組織及中國大陸》列出的「愛滋病預防工作中的關鍵政策與措施」第十一條「檢討和改革法律體系以消除阻礙開展有效和以實證為本愛滋病預防工作的障礙，消除羞辱與歧視，保障愛滋病病毒感染者、易感社群和高風險社群的權利。」 我們要求： 2)愛滋病顧問局承往開來，具體地展開法律體系改革以消除阻礙、羞辱與歧視，保障性工作者的權利，在性工作愛滋病防治的領域上，持續作出貢獻； 3)展開性工作非刑事化(除罪化)的法律改革，改善職業安全健康的風險，令到每個性工作者均可在沒有威嚇的工作環境下工作。 2009年12月1日 (世界愛滋病日) 發起團體︰午夜藍 紫藤
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有關停止把安全套成為呈堂証據的公開要求(新聞稿)
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A Declaration of Stopping the Use of Condoms as evidence in cour
A Declaration of Stopping the Use of Condoms as evidence in court
by Ziteng and Midnight Blue on the World AIDS Day
1 December is annually observed as World AIDS Day internationally since 1988 in order to educate the public about AIDS and reduce discrimination against people living with AIDS. Because of the sexual nature of sex work, and sex contact is one of the sources of AIDS infection, the public often misconceive that AIDS only exists among sex workers and clients. In fact, ‘unsafe sex’ is the main reason for spreading AIDS. Anyone risks the chance of being infected with AIDS if one does not have safe sex. The above misconception makes the general public believe that only sex workers and clients spread AIDS. Such belief not only hinders people from preventing AIDS, but also lowers the alertness of the public about AIDS and facilitates its spread. Therefore, we hope to spread this message to the society: Everyone is responsible for preventing AIDS! We hope the society can look at AIDS positively, reduce discrimination and show more support.
Find ways to eliminate discrimination
In AIDS prevention, the six vulnerable groups include sex workers. We have to ask: why are sex workers vulnerable? Reasons are discrimination and stigmatization. In fact, most of the sex workers know about AIDS and can use condoms correctly. However, discrimination, especially the abuse of power and violation of human rights of the police during their work, renders them vulnerable to AIDS. What we need to do is to pinpoint the problem.
Although civil groups have been promoting safe sex, Hong Kong Police encourages sex workers to work without condoms. We are furious at it. Because of the discrimination and prejudice against AIDS and sex work, especially among the police, condoms are still used as an evidence to arrest sex workers. As condoms bring so much trouble, some sex workers do not like condoms given by sex worker groups. They are afraid that the condoms they receive will become the evidence which put them in jail.
The Police are the prime culprit of the spread of AIDS, the Court the Accomplice
The way police work in the frontline facilitates the spread of AIDS. In cases dealing with keeping a vice establishment, jargons of the police include 3 objects, ‘condoms, lubricants, and balance book’. In dealing with male sex worker cases in the past 6 months, the three objects are ‘condoms, lubricants, and mouth rinse’. When they arrest sex workers, they search for condoms and lubricants everywhere and take lots of pictures. When sex workers are examined, the police threaten them ‘not to give me excuse as you have so many condoms’. Every procedure encourages sex workers to work without condoms. This is not the behaviour of a few policemen, but how the system works.
The court allows the prosecutor to use condoms as evidence makes it an accomplice. Nowadays, condoms and lubricants will become evidence in court for sure. The judge keeps on asking if the police could search any condoms and lubricants in the scene, and questions the accused if he agrees that condoms and lubricants were found. Such act incriminates sex workers by condoms. The public needs to think about it. Condoms are for preparing sex. It is for the prevention of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases (STDS). It is not illegal for adults to have sex voluntarily. There are other ways to prove whether the sex act is sex trade or not. It is not necessary to use condoms as incriminating evidence.
The Failure of ‘Use a condom for safer sex’
After few years of effort, ‘use a condom for safer sex’ becomes popular to everyone. Different policies of Hong Kong are reformed according to the needs of different social groups. The Annual Report of Council for the AIDS Trust Fund shows that more than 8 million HKD was spent in 2007/2008 on promoting AIDS prevention and education. More than 22 million was spent in 2006/2007. More than 17 million was spent in 2005/2006. ACA NEWSLIFE Issue 181 published by The Advisory Council on AIDS expressed concern on the above situation. It described the relationship between the fear of police prosecution and reluctance to keep condoms by sex workers.
The Effort Paid is Destroyed Right Away
The above resources and contribution spent on AIDS prevention should be endorsed. Unfortunately, Hong Kong Police and the legal system have been devastating AIDS prevention. In the middle of the year, sex worker groups were aided by the Advisory Council on AIDS to express concern on using condoms as evidence to arrest sex workers. The reply is: the police will not change the existing policy! To get a better report, the police ruthlessly ignore the risks of AIDS infection of sex workers. This deserves our harshest condemnation!
Reform the legal system and remove hindrance
Based on Point 11, ‘Review and reform legal frameworks to remove barriers to effective, evidence based HIV prevention, combat stigma and discrimination and protect the rights of people living with HIV or vulnerable or at risk to HIV ‘ of the ‘Essential Policies Actions for AIDS Prevention’ in Appendix I “Key Strategies Documents –UNAIDS, World Health Organization (WHO) and Mainland China” in the “Recommended HIV/AIDS Strategies for Hong Kong 2007 to 2011” written by Advisory Council on AIDS, we have the following requests.
1. The police stop using condoms and lubricants as evidence in court immediately. The court should stop accepting this when it deals with sex work cases.
2. The Advisory Council of AIDS continues to implement reforms to eliminate barriers, stigma and discrimination, protect the rights of sex workers and contribute to AIDS prevention among sex workers.
3. Legal reforms on decriminalization of sex work should be launched to improve occupational health and allow every sex worker to work without a threatening environment.
1 Dec 2009 (Worlds AIDS Day)
Contact Person: Li Chun Wai (24934555)
Founders: Midnight Blue and Ziteng