Tell the Thai Government: Stop the Drug War! Support Harm Reduction!!!

At the same time as the UN High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, please join us for a rally against the Thai Drug War and for humane treatment of drug users, including harm reduction. Speakers will include: * representatives of Thai civil society participating in the UN High Level Meeting * US and international drug-user activists * others, to be determined In 2003, the Thai government escalated their drug war, and it led to the extrajudicial killing of almost 3,000 Thai citizens, half of whom were never found to have any connection to drugs. On April 2, 2008, the drug war was escalated again. The interior minister of Thailand was quoted as saying, "...for drug dealers, if they do not want to die, they had better quit staying on that road. Drugs suppression in my time as interior minister will follow the approach of Thaksin [former Thai Prime Minister]. If that will lead to 3,000-4,000 deaths of those who break the law, then so be it. That has to be done." Additionally, 50% of injection drug users in Thailand are HIV+, and are being denied access to lifesaving treatment and comprehensive harm reduction services, including clean needles. UN member countries have committed time and again to Universal Access to HIV treatment. The escalation of the drug war will help fuel the HIV epidemic by driving drug users away from lifesaving care while doing little to stem drug use. No death as a result of the Thai drug war is acceptable. The Thai government must stop the murder of Thai drug users and immediately prosecute state criminals responsible for past violations! *This action is sponsored by: African Services Committee, Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), Harm Reduction Coaltion, Health GAP, NYC AIDS Housing Network/VOCAL User¹s Union, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group More information: Kaytee Riek, Health GAP ([email protected] or 215-397-4326).