POPULAR YESTERYEAR SINHALA SONG SUNG BY PRIYA SURIYASENA

Shocking Statement Made By Sri Lankan Education Minister To "The New Indian Express" Paper Regarding HIV/AIDS

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Minister of Education, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has said that five year old Rehan Dilshara, shunned by local schools for being “HIV Positive”, cannot be admitted to a normal school, and that he will get a court order to put the child in a Probationary Institution.

Kariyawasam said this to the media on Saturday, though Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena had assured Dilshara’s mother, Chandani de Soyza, that he will see that the boy is admitted to a school.

“People are opposing the child’s admission because they have no understanding of the issue,” the President had said.

But holding his ground, Kariyawasam quoted the local Director of Education as saying that Dilshara’s father had died of AIDS and that Chandani is HIV Positive.

The Minister went on to say that the mother could pass on the virus to her son by simply lying next to him. In view of this, he said he would seek a Court order to separate the mother and child and put the latter in an institution run by the Department of Probation and Child Care.

Kariyawasam contended that he cannot turn a deaf ear to the pleas of the people of Kuliyapitiya to keep the child out of schools in the area, because they had voted him for him. He blamed the media and the human rights lobby for blowing the issue out of proportion.

However, Senany Dayaratne, lawyer for Chandani, told Express that the medical records given to him did not substantiate Kariyawasam’s contentions.

“Even assuming that the mother is HIV positive, there is only a very remote possibility of her child getting infected, because the AIDS virus is transmitted either through sexual intercourse or an intravenous injection. At any rate, it is against the law and constitution to deny any child a school education, especially on the plea that he can get infected and infect other children, in turn. It is also wrong to separate the child from the mother,” Dayaratne said.

The Fundamental Rights Petition filed by Chandani and her son in the Supreme Court on March 1, seeking admission to a school, is likely to come up for hearing in the second week of this month.

Two Minor Earth Tremors Had Occurred Today(06) At Balangoda

Two minor earth tremors had occurred this morning and evening at three places in Balangoda (In Sabaragamuwa Province) according to Geological Survey And Mines Bureau.

These Earth Tremors were reported around 2.50 a.m and 2.20 p.m at Imbulpe,Weligepola and Mahawalathana Areas in Balangoda the Bureau has said.

The vibrations of the Earth Tremors had recorded at the Earthquake Monitoring Stations in Pallekale,Mahakanadarawa and Hakmana .The Geological Survey And Mines Bureau has launched an investigation on the incident.

HEALTH TIP

SHOULDER PAIN


 

SINHALA QUOTE FROM THE WEB

Third Session Of The Joint Management Forum Of Human Smuggling To Be Held In Sri Lanka

The Third session of the Joint Management Forum on  Law Enforcement of Human Smuggling is due to to be held in Colombo-Sri Lanka from 08th to 10th of March according to the Police Headquarters.

Exchanging of Information and Intelligence Information,Regional Corporation,Skills Development and Global Displacement are the major topics which are due to be discussed during this international conference it has been reported.

Twelve Countries including Sri Lanka  are members of this Joint Management Forum.

A Patient Has Committed Suicide By Jumping From An Upper Floor Of A Private Hospital

A Patient receiving treatment at a Private Hospital in Colombo has committed suicide yesterday(05) by jumping from the 12th floor of the hospital.

The victim has been identified as a 50 year old resident of Thalawathugoda,Madiwela Area .He was admitted to the hospital on 27th of February to treat for an ailment,

However the reason behind the suicide has not yet been revealed according to Maradana Police.Maradana Police are conducting an investigation on the incident.