In Memoriam: Wang Xiaoguang (王晓光)

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We were saddened to hear of the untimely passing of our colleague, teacher and friend, Wang Xiaoguang, one of the founders of Yunnan Daytop in China. Yunnan Daytop is a leader in China’s efforts to provide voluntary and supportive harm reduction services to people who use drugs, and in that role Wang Xiaoguang has been a consistent advocate for drug users and for Chinese grassroots NGOs that serve them. Asia Catalyst and other international agencies frequently called on Xiaoguang for his insights and advice, and we’ll be at a real loss without him to turn to.

Our (unofficial) translation of Daytop’s obituary for him follows, along with the Chinese original text.

Asia Catalyst

 

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[COMMENTARY] China’s First Lawsuit on Discrimination Against a Person Living with HIV/AIDS

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By Yu Fangqiang

On July 27, 2010, a person living with HIV/AIDS in Anhui Province successfully filed China’s first case alleging employment discrimination on the basis of HIV status. Soon afterwards, a second case was filed in Sichuan Province. A year later, both cases were lost, and both plaintiffs filed appeals. Currently, the third plaintiff in an HIV-related employment discrimination case is preparing to file suit. In this article, lawyer Yu Fangqiang tells the personal story behind the historically important Anhui case.

 

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[NEWS] AIDS Activists Arrested, Shoved at ICAAP

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Korean and international AIDS activists who participated in a peaceful protest against the Free Trade Agreement and for access to AIDS treatment at the International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) were shoved and dragged by the police while trying to prevent the arrest of AIDS lawyer Jang Seo-yeon. Two activists, including a staff person of the ICAAP Local Organizing Committee, were hospitalized. Below is the joint statement from Korean activists and supporters about the incident.

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[NEWS] AC, ANPUD, APN+ Call on ICAAP to Provide Methadone in Korea

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Asia Catalyst and 25 other regional networks and organizations called this week for methadone and buprenorphine access at the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, to take place this month in Busan, Korea.

Lack of access to these key medications in effect creates a discriminatory barrier to participation in the congress by delegates who are people using drugs.

Please help us to circulate the letter and to raise these issues with conference conveners and the Korean government, both before and at ICAAP.

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