Way to go, Governor Parkop

 NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop has thrown down the gauntlet on the rights of sex workers and the transgender or gay community in Papua New Guinea.

In commemorating World AIDS Day, Parkop urged all Papua New Guineans yesterday to put aside their “cultural, moral, legal, religious and political” stigma in the interest of a HIV/AIDS free country.

“If Papua New Guinea is to achieve the triple zero goal set by the United Nations for the HIV/AIDS outcome, we must reach out to the most vulnerable sector of our community threatened by HIV/AIDS and ensure they are receiving equal services such as counselling, medical attention and care so they are not a risk to all. These vulnerable and most risky sectors of our community are female sex workers, men having sex with men and transgender communities. If we continue to discriminate or stigmatise these communities we put everyone at risk and risk not reaching the triple zero goals.”

Parkop, the human rights lawyer cum politician, does not mince his words. Since assuming office some seven years ago, Parkop has delivered on many of his campaign promises to transform the capital city into a modern metropolis.

He has maintained his stance – and gained much respect – on touchy issues such as the West Papua freedom movement.

It is hardly surprising that the outspoken governor should now be campaigning against a stigma that is as old as the human race.

“The time is now appropriate to openly discuss these taboo issues of female sex work, men having sex with men and transgender issues, especially to create space for these communities to feel free to obtain same services as everyone else without stigma or discrimination. Only then will we have a chance to achieve the triple zero outcomes set by the United Nations.

“I make this call consciously as governor of our biggest city where statistics show we still have high prevalence, high HIV/AIDS related deaths and high number of people living with HIV/AIDS. It is in the urban centres around the world where infected people find refugee from stigma and dis­crimination from rural population. 

“Let’s put our cultural, legal, moral, political and religious views aside and lets deal with the issue or challenge as a medical issues. We have done it and we can do it again.”

We commend Parkop for his bold move to meet with sex workers and members of the gay community in NCD to find ways to overcome this social stigma that has threatens their co-existence as well as impacted on the spread of HIV/AIDS in this country. 

We agree with the governor that people living with the virus in PNG, estimated at around 32,000, should have access to health services and not be discriminated against. 

It is understood that thousands more are living with the virus without knowing it.

While Parkop is doing his bit to rid our society of this social stigma and curb the spread of the dreaded virus, it would be even better if our national leaders took up the challenge.

As US Ambassador Walter North said in his World AIDS Day commentary: “The US PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) team in PNG is focused on the needs of key populations: Commercial sex workers, intravenous drug users and men having sex with men.  

“We are committed to addressing stigma and discrimination. We work with partners to improve services and access to those services for clients. Through innovative approaches, strong partnerships and collaborative technical assistance the team helps implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and strengthens the national health system.  

“We have reached a critical moment in the HIV/AIDS fight. Globally, we are close to controlling the epidemic. Papua New Guinea is making progress but challenges remain.”

Indeed, PNG would be much envied by the global community if all our leaders took a unified stand to rid this country of discrimination against members of the gay community and sex workers, which would pave the way for a significant reduction in HIV/AIDS cases.