On Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterrez urged Thailand to work to fight AIDS in the refugee camps on its border with Myanmar. Guterrez, on a four-day official trip to Thailand, visited the Than Him refugee camp in the western Ratchaburi province, where some 10,000 ethnic Karen people have sought refuge from fighting in Myanmar. Chalermchai Mahakitsiri, deputy government spokesperson, said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had tasked the Thai Public Health Ministry with investigating the spread of HIV/AIDS in the camps. Chalermchai also said Thailand is seeking to stem the flow of illegal migrant workers by investing in neighboring countries, thus encouraging native workers to remain there.

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