Subject: Membership of AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific (ASAP) suspended

The AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific (ASAP) regrets that there should be
continuing unfounded allegations about the choice of ICAAP sites and the
membership of the ASAP Exco. The ASAP Exco very much welcomed the possibility of
Vietnam hosting the ICAAP but received no expressions of interest from there
despite many invitations. If the writer has any evidence of such interest, we
hope that he will pass them on to us.

The bids for hosting the conference were called for publicly. There were
queries from India but no follow-up after the Exco asked for more information.
China, through its embassy in Canberra, explicitly declined to host the ICAAP.

Thus there were no alternatives to Kobe at the time. As for the postponement
of 7th ICAAP from 2003 to 2005, ASAP is equally disappointed but understand
the local organising committee's prerogative in making this decision.

We have just had a meeting with the Kobe LOC in Bangkok and are well-assured
that 7th ICAAP will take place in Kobe from July 1-5 2005.

We are also currently in negotiations with Sri Lanka to host the 8th ICAAP
in 2007 in Colombo. Both NGOs and the Sri Lankan government are very interested
and have made presentations on the available facilities.

If there are any other equally feasible and viable alternatives in other
countries with appropriate host organisations, we would appreciate it if these
would contact us so that we can also make an assessment of their potential.

It should be noted that the current Exco was elected at the 6th ICAAP
in Melbourne through an open nomination system. The most recent additions,
Zahid Hussain of Pakistan and Anita Jowitt of Fiji, joined after a call
for nominations on the usual online lists.

Thank you.

Marina Mahathir,
Vice-President, ASAP
E-mail: <netra@...>