6th ICAAP. What Dennis Altman does not want you to hear

[Guest guest]

WHAT IS DENNIS ALTMAN AFRAID TO HEAR

- Damon Chen Asia News

At yesterday's press conference Asia News reporter

Kim Singh asked Dennis Altman and Robin Gorna the

co-chairs of ICAAP questions relating to the excessive

expenditure related to the elaborate opening

ceremonies. Kim pointed out in the presence of the

wonderful AIDS activists from Indonesia, Suzana Murna,

that the money squandered on the opening ceremonies

and in hosting ICAAP in such opulent a venue could

have helped several hundred PWAs attend the

conference, as they had been denied scholarships by

Dennis Altman. Dennis has been citing lack of

resources as his excuse for not coming up with more

scholarships.

Kim also pointed out to Robin and Dennis that Shabana

Azmi was a poor choice as a representative of India¡¦s

AIDS situation. Shabana is a Member of Parliament in

India. She is also associated with NACO ( National

AIDS Control Organization ( http://www.naco.nic.in/ )

and NACO did nothing to

help the HIV and AIDS activists and health care

providers that had been illegally jailed by the Indian

government in Lucknow for 47 days.

Both Robin ad Dennis were unable to substantiate why

they selected Ms. Azmi as a featured speaker at the

opening ceremonies, other than the fatc that she had a

celebrity value.

Kim also mentioned that such a conference is

essentially a feather in the cap of Dennis Altman and

Robin Gorna. It constitutes a career stepping stone

for the two. Robin has resigned from her position as

Director of Australian Federation of AIDS

Organizations. A well run ICAAP conference would help

open up her next position.

At the AIDS Memorial Candlelight Vigil, all the

speakers were white men and women. Not one person of

color, not one person of aborginal descent. This is

the condition of the AIDS organizations in Australia.

This is so very reminiscent of the situation in the

U.S. in the 80s and early 90s, when gay white men

dominated the AIDS and queer organizations in the U.S.

Adam Carr the Managing Editor of ICAAP news approached

Kim Singh and told him that he would like to interview

him. He said that ICAAP news has been instructed by

Dennis Altman to record dissent and people

dissatisfied with ICAAP. Adam proceeded to interview

Kim for over one hour. His photographer then spent

over 30 minutes photographing Kim.

Dennis then summoned Adam aside and said loudly

" This guy is a trouble maker and we should not carry

this story " . This story was killed.

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Mr Kim Singh

E-mail: <kim_singh@...>

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