Prize money from sportswear giant will fund AIDS orphans centre.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Once and while, capitalism and human rights go hand in hand. World sportswear giant Reebok has decided to honour Li Dan, a champion who dared to speak out about China's HIV epidemic, with a prize worth US$ 50,000.

Mr Li is the director of the Beijing-based China Orchid AIDS Project. In motivating the award, Reebok noted: "Li Dan bravely documented the destruction caused by China's AIDS epidemic and helps pressure the government to respond. Despite harassment, he works to help AIDS orphans who have been rejected by their communities."

According to official figures, there were an estimated 650,000 HIV-infected people in China last year; of these, 75,000 had full-blown AIDS. But the United Nations accuses Beijing of concealing the true picture.

"China keeps considering it as a foreign disease," Mr Li said. "It doesn't want to admit it is a endemic phenomenon in the country," he said.

Li Dan said he will use the money to set up an activity centre for AIDS orphans.

Other recipients of this year's award are Rachel Lloyd, an advocate for sexually exploited girls in New York; Kashmiri peace activist Khurram Parvez; and Zimbabwean human rights lawyer Otto Saki.

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• reebok
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• li
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• aids
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• orphans