PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen spoke to a crowd of around 19,000 factory employees at the Morodok Techo National Stadium on Saturday, where he warned about the growing number of HIV/AIDS cases in Cambodia.

 “A total of 1,400 new HIV infection cases were detected in 2022, an increase of 300 cases from the previous year,” he said. According to the Prime Minister, the new infections were found largely in the gay male population.

He called on people to take precautions against the disease by employing preventative measures. He also emphasized that there should be no discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS.

Regarding the LGBT community, the PM said that the Kingdom neither gives them legal right nor prohibits them from marriage and that they are free to live together in harmony. He advised vulnerable communities to be educated and vigilant on ways to protect themselves from the disease.

During his speech he blamed the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) for bringing the AIDS epidemic to Cambodia in the early 90’s during its two-year reign. According to a 2006 report from UNAIDS, the epidemic had begun prior to UNTAC’s establishment in 1992, however, its personnel may have played a major role in the escalation of the epidemic as UNTAC personnel saw a dramatic increase in STI cases in 1992, seriously damaging the mission’s credibility.

HIV/AIDS cases were first reported in Cambodia in 1991. In 2017, Cambodia was one of the seven countries globally to have achieved the 90-90-90 HIV/AIDS target through an effective collaboration between the Royal Government, civil society and development partners that helped to turn the tide of the epidemic.