Thai monks, some of whom have contracted the HIV virus prior to joining the monkhood,...

Thai monks, some of whom have contracted the HIV virus prior to joining the monkhood, perform funeral rites for three AIDS victims who had died in the past day at a temple shelter for AIDS victims in Lopburi, 150 kilometres north of Bangkok. A Buddhist monk at the temple says that AIDS death rates in the first years of the new millennium may overwhelm care givers like them - 4,000 have died at this temple shelter alone over the past 10 years since it was set up with public donations. As World AIDS Day looms, attention is drawn to the one million people in Thailand who are HIV positive and the 128,000 who currently have AIDS. Picture taken 24NOV99