North Korea: Tightened controls on communications with the outside world leave families devastated

9 March 2016
Ordinary North Koreans caught using mobile phones to contact loved ones who have fled abroad, risk being sent to political prison camps or other detention facilities as the government tightens its stranglehold on people’s use of communication technology, reveals Amnesty International in a new report published today.

Nothing can ever justify people being thrown in detention for trying to fulfil a basic human need – to connect with their family and friends.

North Korea Tightened controls on communications with the outside world leave families devastated.odt by Thavam Ratna

UN report: South Sudan allowed soldiers to rape civilians in civil war

Scale of atrocities committed by both sides laid bare in report, including allegations of torture, murder and deliberate mass displacement

 A displaced woman, Akki Adduok, sits in the spot where her shelter used to be in the protection of civilians site in Malakal, South Sudan. Photograph: Albert Gonzalez Farran/AFP/Getty Images

Women search for their belongings after the protection of civilians site in Malakal was burnt and looted. Photograph: Albert Gonzalez Farran/AFP/Getty Images

Sam Jones-Friday 11 March 2016 15

The South Sudanese government has conducted a “scorched earth policy” against civilians caught up in the country’s civil war, allowing its soldiers and allied militias to rape women in lieu of wages, torture and murder suspected opponents and deliberately displace as many people as possible, according to a UN report.

The blunt and harrowing document, published on Friday by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), comes six months after accounts emerged revealing the systematic abduction and abuse of thousands of women and girls during the conflict.

The report laid bare the scale of the atrocities committed by both sides since the war broke out in December 2013 and warned that many of those may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity. Most of the civilian casualties, it added, had been the result of deliberately targeted attacks rather than combat operations.

While the report found that all sides had committed “serious violations and abuses”, it was unequivocal in asserting that “the government appears to be responsible for the gross and systematic human rights violations”.

From April to September last year, the UN recorded more than 1,300 reports of rape in Unity state alone, an oil-rich area in the north of the country that has seen some of the worst violence of the conflict. In 2014, opposition forces harried towns in the area, turning churches, mosques and hospitals into “veritable traps for civilians”, the UN report said.

Although those forces scattered in 2015 in the face of an offensive waged by government troops in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), civilians were once again deliberately targeted.

The report chronicled how those suspected of supporting the opposition – including children and disabled people – were murdered by being burned alive,suffocated in shipping containers, shot, cut to pieces or hanged from trees.

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FactCheck: will Brexit hurt science?

FactCheck: will Brexit hurt science?

By Patrick Worrall-March 11, 2016

More than 150 leading scientists including Professor Stephen Hawking have signed a letter to the Times saying a vote to Leave the EU would be a “disaster for UK science and universities”.

We don’t propose to FactCheck Hawking’s theories on information hidden behind the event horizon of black holes, but his views on Europe are fair game, and critics say he and all the other professors are scaremongering.

The academics who signed the letter say Switzerland is now paying the price for crossing Brussels on the free movement of workers, and Britain could get the same treatment. What are the facts?

The analysis

Switzerland’s relationship with the EU is sometimes held up by Eurosceptics as a model for how Britain could rebuild relations with the bloc after a Leave vote.

The Swiss managed to negotiate a number of bilateral treaties granting them partial access to the EU’s single market without becoming a member, although there are question marks over how good the deal really is.

As part of the agreement, Switzerland had to sign up to many of the key EU principles, such as the free movement of goods and people.

Relations hit the skids in February 2014 when a slim majority of voters backed a proposal by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party to introduce quotas for EU migrant workers – a breach of the free movement rule.

There were warnings of dire consequences, and some EU-watchers saw the stand-off as a kind of trial run for how the EU might treat Britain in the event of a Leave vote.

The prominent Eurosceptic Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan wrote immediately after the vote that the EU could not afford to punish Switzerland over the affair, given its importance as a trading partner.

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This “healthy” food can cause Brain Damage and Breast Cancer- You Should stop eating it IMMEDIATELY

by DR. MERCOLA-JUN 4

Many health-conscious Americans, in an effort to improve their eating habits, have switched to eating tofu in place of meat or eggs. The soy industry would have you believe that this is a smart move for your heart health, but in reality processed soy, which includes tofu, is not a health food.

You are much better off eating organic eggs, grass-fed meat and raw dairy products than you are eating processed soy.

“Unlike in Asia where people eat small amounts of whole soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities–protein and oil. There’s nothing safe or natural about this,” Dr. Daniel says.

“Today’s high-tech processing methods not only fail to remove the anti-nutrients and toxins that are naturally present in soybeans but leave toxic and carcinogenic residues created by the high temperatures, high pressure, alkali and acid baths and petroleum solvents,” she continues.

The worst of the worst when it comes to soy products are the fractionated products like soy protein isolate and hydrolyzed plant protein, as all processed soy contains phytates that block mineral absorption and trypsin inhibitors that block proper digestion.

Tofu is one step up because it’s a whole soy product, but it still contains the anti-nutrients mentioned above.

Health Problems Linked to Soy

Among the many health problems linked to a high-soy diet are:

• Thyroid problems, including weight gain, lethargy, malaise, fatigue, hair loss, and loss of libido
• Premature puberty and other developmental problems in babies, children and adolescents
• Cancer
• Brain damage 
• Reproductive disorders 
• Soy allergies

Meanwhile, studies reviewed by Dr. Daniel and colleagues have found that soy does not reliably lower cholesterol, and in fact raises homocysteine levels in many people, which has been found to increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and birth defects. In fact, according to Dr. Daniel, soy can increase your risk of heart disease.

As a result, she and other experts have sent a 65-page petition to the FDA asking them to retract the “soy prevents heart disease” health claim that they approved back in 1999, and let’s hope they do the right thing and comply.

It’s very important to know also that children and babies, who are still developing, are particularly vulnerable to soy’s hormone-mimicking effects. A Lancet study showed that the daily exposure to estrogen-imitating chemicals for infants who consume soy formulas was 6-11 times higher than adults consuming soy foods.

And the blood concentration of these hormones was 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than estrogen in the blood. An infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of up to five birth control pills per day. So please do not feed your baby soy infant formula, or your toddler soy foods (if you can’t breastfeed and are looking for a formula alternative, here’s a recipe for a healthy homemade infant formula). The effects are so potent that even pregnant women should avoid eating soy products for the safety of their unborn child.

And there’s more:

• Soybeans are high in natural toxins, also known as antinutrients. This includes a large quantity of inhibitors that deter the enzymes needed for protein digestion. Further, these enzyme inhibitors are not entirely disabled during ordinary cooking. The result is extensive gastric distress and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake, which can result in dangerous pancreatic impairments and cancer.

• Soybeans contain hemaglutinins, which cause red blood cells to clump together. Soybeans also have growth-depressant substances, and while these substances are reduced in processing, they are not completely eliminated.

• Soy contains goitrogens, which can frequently lead to depressed thyroid function.

• Most soybeans (over 80%) are genetically modified, and they contain one of the highest levels of pesticide contamination of all foods.

• Soybeans are very high in phytates, which prevent the absorption of minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, all of which are co-factors for optimal biochemistry in your body.

The Are Some Ways to Safely Enjoy Soy

There are a few types of soy that are healthy, and all of them are fermented. After a long fermentation process, the phytic acid and antinutrient levels of the soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties — such as the creation of natural probiotics — become available to your digestive system.

It also greatly reduces the levels of dangerous isoflavones, which are similar to estrogen in their chemical structure, and can interfere with the action of your own estrogen production.

So if you enjoy soy and want to eat it without damaging your health — and in fact gain health benefits — the following are all healthy options:

    1. Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor. It’s loaded with nattokinase, a very powerful blood thinner. Natto is actually a food I eat regularly, as it is the highest source of vitamin K2 on the planet and has a very powerful beneficial bacteria, bacillus subtilis. It can usually be found in any Asian grocery store.

2. Tempeh, a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.

3. Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).

4. Soy sauce: traditionally, soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes, however be wary because many varieties on the market are made artificially using a chemical process.

Remember, though, that all processed soy products — soy milk, soy burgers, soy cheese, soy energy bars, soy ice cream, soy protein powders, etc. — are not health foods. And to truly avoid all types of damaging soy products, you need to avoid processed foods as the vast majority of them contain soy ingredients.

“The best — and maybe the only — way to completely avoid soy in the food supply is to buy whole foods and prepare them ourselves,” Dr. Daniel says. “For those who prefer to buy readymade and packaged products, I offer a free Special Report, “Where the Soys Are,” on my Web site. It lists the many “aliases” that soy might be hiding under in ingredient lists — words like “bouillon,” “natural flavor” and “textured plant protein.”

The basics of healthy eating — unprocessed, fermented, and fresh foods are ideal, while processed foods should be avoided — apply to soy as well, so stick to these tenets and you’ll be on the right track.

Protestors highlight importance of eradicating violence against children
10 March 2016

Tamil protestors gathered outside the Northern Province Chief Minister's office on Wednesday, demanding officials take action against violence against children. Protestors called for a special court to be set up to investigate the abuse of women and children, DNA evidence to be swiftly collected and new legal provisions to enact harsh punishments against offenders. The demonstrators then handed a petition over to Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran.

Can’t the Good Governance search our children’s?

Mar 10, 2016

A protest was staged today 9th opposite the fort railway station urging the government to return their children abducted by the navy. The parents alleged the Navy for abducting their children’s many years ago who still remain disappears.

The parents also alleged that the navy demanded extortions and following paying the extortions too they did not return their children.
They said they are suffering like this for the last eight years in search of their children and said the current president would hear their grievances and the injustice happened to them by the previous regime and dispense justice for them.

The protesters said in an impulsive voice although one year has been elapsed still they could find a clue about what happened to their children.

Proposal For New Constitution: Kandy Forum’s Submission

March 10, 2016 

The Kandy Forum has submitted the following proposal to the Public representation Committee on Constitutional Reforms:

Constitutional Solution for Territorial and Non-territorial Ethnic Minorities Some Proposals for Constitutional Reform

We, the members of the Kandy forum, a research and advocacy group focused on the areas of national unity, co-existence, religious tolerance and social integration, welcome the Government’s proposal for constitutional reform that would fulfill their commitment to the people to promote post war reconciliation, ethnic harmony and power sharing and also to build Sri Lanka as a united plural society, thereby preventing further conflicts and war taking place in the future.

We wish to submit the following proposals toward the making of the new constitution in order to meaningfully achieve the objectives of constitutional reform.

1. Power sharing at the regional level

Power sharing has come to be understood in terms of ethnicity and territoriality. Power sharing at the regional level is a demand put forward by the Sri Lankan Tamil nationalists from the early period of independence in the face of deeply felt grievances as regards discrimination, and Sinhala majoritarianism, which led to repeated ethnic violence and thirty years of war and destruction in this country.

With Indian Intervention materializing in the Indo Lanka Accord of 1987 and the 13th amendment of the constitution, the Provincial Council system was introduced with the conditional merger of the North and East. The people of the Eastern Province were not consulted about this decision to merge the north and the east. However, the Supreme Court demerged the provinces in 2006, and at present we have separate Provincial Councils with limited powers in operation, less than what was proposed in the 13th amendment.

The current moment is an opportunity to reflect on regional autonomy and to enable the establishment of autonomous regional or provincial councils which are beneficial not only to the Tamils of the North and East but also to the people living in the other parts of the country who need power sharing and decentralization.

Therefore, the Kandy Forum proposes that the existing Provincial Council system shall be retained and that more powers be devolved to the Provinces, curtailing the powers of the Provincial Governors.

2. The Eastern Province

Re-merging the Northern and Eastern Provinces should be ruled out, as it is not a pragmatic demand given that the Muslims and Sinhalese and also some section of the Sri Lankan Tamils in the Eastern Province do not want to re-merge the two Provinces. Further, it should be taken into consideration that, the Tamils in the Eastern Province are a minority consisting only 39.79 % of the total population of the Province.

We are of the opinion that the demand for a noncontiguous separate Muslim Province in the East is politically and pragmatically not suitable to the needs of the community and that it further complicates the existing ethnic problem; therefore, we strongly oppose the idea of setting up a separate province for Muslims.

The Eastern Province could be a model for co-existence of communities in Sri Lanka. It is the only Province in Sri Lanka that has a near equal ethnic balance, where the Tamils constitute 39.79%, Muslims constitute 36.72% and the Sinhalese constitute 23.15%. It is an ideal situation for the evolution of a model for ethnic pluralism, good governance and peaceful coexistence and this province could be equipped with special constitutional provisions to strengthen inter-ethnic relationships within and between other regions.

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Statement by Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to the Human Rights Council's 31st session

10 March 2016

Distinguished President,Excellencies,
          
Over the past ten days, many delegations have shared with me their alarm about the growing disarray in many countries. And among other issues, I have raised with many of them my concerns about arrests, harassment and spurious prosecutions of journalists, activists, political opponents and human rights defenders.
           

Statement by Zeid Ra'Ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, To the Human Rights... by Thavam Ratna

Sri Lanka Should Finally Release Tamil Political Prisoners

• Taylor Dibbert-03/09/2016 

In Sri Lanka, a group of Tamil political prisoners are again conducting a hunger strike. The strike began in late February and it's unclear what will happen next. The 14 prisoners are demanding that all political prisoners be released without delay.

In a show of solidarity, community members (including relatives of the political prisoners) conducted a hunger strike in Jaffna on March 7. Since Maithripala Sirisena assumed the presidency in January 2015, the government has released some political prisoners on bail, but has been extremely reluctant to grant anyone genuine freedom. One Sri Lankan media outlet has reported that two political prisoners "had been discharged from their cases", although the bottom line is that the government has made virtually no progress on this important issue.

"Four of the hunger strikers have been admitted to the prison hospital [in Colombo] and their condition is dire," says Mario Arulthas, co-editor of Tamil Guardian -- a London-based news outlet. "The government has made promises regarding the issue of Tamil political detainees since it came to power, however it has failed to act." Arulthas also notes that the government has asked some of the political prisoners to participate in Sri Lanka's (controversial) rehabilitation program for ex-combatants, yet few detainees have accepted that offer.

The government's continued detention of these individuals is a matter of great concern for the Tamil community; over the past several months, there have been intermittent protests (throughout the historically Tamil Northern and Eastern Provinces) about this matter. When I visited Sri Lanka's north and east in late January, many people with whom I spoke were really frustrated about the government's unwillingness to change course. The lack of transparency surrounding political prisoners is also cause for significant concern. Official estimates suggest that 200 to 300 people continue to be held, though the actual number could be higher.

On March 8, R. Sampanthan, the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA),implored the government to release political prisoners. These individuals are being held under the country's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), a draconian piece of legislation that's widely incompatible with international standards. Since the PTA was first enacted (in 1979), the law has had a disproportionately negative effect on the nation's Tamil community.

Sri Lanka's coalition government has promised to implement a panoply of bold reforms. Nonetheless, if Colombo remains unwilling to release political prisoners, it's hard to be optimistic about deeper changes, particularly as it relates to complicated matters such as transitional justice, devolution of power and sustained militarization throughout the Tamil-dominated north and east.

Sirisena needs to stop dithering. If the president is truly serious about moving the island nation from post-war to post-conflict, then work must begin now. And, broadly speaking, that program should include tangible, credible actions -- as opposed to just promises, speeches or statements crafted for international consumption.

To conclude, Colombo should finally release or bring to trial all Tamil political prisoners. If political expediency continues to supersede humanitarian and human rights exigencies, we can be sure that Sri Lanka's wounds of war will not heal on Sirisena's watch.

Follow Taylor Dibbert on Twitter: www.twitter.com/taylordibbert

Amirthalingam 's wife passes away

2016-03-10

The wife, Mangayarkarasi Amirthalingam of the first Tamil opposition's leader A. Amirthalingam has passed away in London yesterday.

She was 83-years-old by the time of her demise.

Expose` 4- a most despicable wrongful action of former CJ Dr. Shiranee Bandaranaike when she was Dean of law faculty !

(Lanka-e-News- 10.March.2016, 8.45PM)  Following the report posted by Lanka e News ‘like how SL Universities should be freed from the grip of politicians so they are not the property of University Dons’ , and after  reading the other revelations associated with it , I felt that if I don’t make my own contribution to those exposures  ,  I shall be failing in my duty towards society. 

This incident took place in the faculty of law of the Colombo University during the period 1991/1992 . It was Dr. G.L. Peiris who was the Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University , and the Dean of the faculty was Dr. Shirani Bandaranaike who was dismissed from the post of Chief Justice after being enmeshed in a storm of controversy. The chief of the law division was Ms. Shriya De Soysa at that time.

Ms. Indira Nanayakkara who was a lecturer in the law faculty during that period aided and abetted Shiranee in all her wrongful activities , while also doing all her lowliest sordid biddings . Indira who was not married at that time carried on an illicit love affair with a second year law faculty student because of the  support given by Shiranee.

Owing to this illicit love tangle , Indira secretly arranged to supply all the question papers ahead of the exam to her second year law student lover , and also corrected his answer scripts giving him high marks to ensure that he passed the exam with flying colors. That is because   Indrani and Shiranthee assumed that the law faculty was part of their personal belongings.

When Shiranee’s father was working in the Anuradhaura education office , the Shiranee Bandaranaike family was residing in a rented house at 754,  second phase, new Town , Anuradhapura. Shiranee went to school until her advanced level class from that address.

However , because Shiranee’s father Wilfred Bandaranaike did not pay the rent on time for that house they were residing in , he entered into conflicts with the owner of the house , Sylvester Perera. 

Sylvester Perera’s son later gained admission to the law faculty of the Colombo University in the academic year 1986/87, and it was Shiranee who was the Dean of the law faculty then . Shiranee getting wind of this spoke to the son of Sylvester Perera most fondly , only to begin her ‘ vengeful works’ when he reached the third year . That is , she took special pains secretly to see that Sylvester’s son is made to fail in three of the five subjects he offered at the third year exam.

Unfortunately , things did not work according to Shiranee’s plan. His failure triggered huge student protests , compelling Dr. Peiris the Vice Chancellor to appoint a three member commission to inquire into this issue. 

The Commission comprising members who are lecturers and Professors of other faculties (other than law faculty) of the Colombo University , examined the answer scripts of the student. It was finally concluded that in every answer script two answers have been cut off and discarded. In ther words , answer scripts of two of the five question papers  have been discarded deliberately .

Shiranee Bandaranaike who was the chief of the law faculty at that time, and in charge of the answer scripts resorted to this racket because she thought the law faculty is her private property .

For this gross, ruthless and monumental  injustice she inflicted on the student which could have ruined that student’s future   , retribution took toll of her not immediately , because if she was punished during that period itself , that would not have had much impact. She was punished much later . Her facing various stigmatic experiences including  embarassment and humiliation before society culminating in her dismissal from the post of chief justice are part of the inescapable retributory process. 

By a law faculty student who was in the Colombo University at that time 

Translated by Jeff

(open for debate)

---------------------------
by     (2016-03-10 16:15:48)

Court acquits activist of screening Sri Lanka war documentary without approval

Activist Lena Hendry was charged under Section 6(1)(b) of the Film Censorship Act 2002 for screening ‘No Fire Zone’ without the approval from the Censorship Board. ― File pic

BY RAM ANAND-Thursday March 10, 2016

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 ― Activist Lena Hendry was acquitted today of censorship charges over the screening of a documentary on the Sri Lankan civil war in 2013.

In his ruling, Magistrate Mohd Rehab Mohd Aris said that the prosecution failed to establish a “prima facie” case against Hendry and thus Hendry need not enter her defence.

She was charged under Section 6(1)(b) of the Film Censorship Act 2002 for screening No Fire Zone without the approval from the Censorship Board.

The activist would have faced a maximum of three years’ jail or a fine not exceeding RM30,000 or both upon conviction,

Lawyer New Sin Yew, who represented Hendry, was thankful that the court agreed with their arguments against what he described as a “frivolous” charge.

Hendry also said that the charge was a “waste of time” for the courts, for and everyone involved.

“They should allow human rights defenders like us to do our jobs,” she said.

Separately, Human Rights Watch deputy director (Asia) Phil Robertson said “justice was done” in the acquittal.

“This was a politically motivated case that should never have been prosecuted in the first place, and a blatant infringement on the right to freedom of expression,” he said in a statement.

He said that “no one” should go through an experience similar to the one Hendry faced.

OPEN LETTER TO EDUCATION MINISTER: INTRODUCE COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY AND RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION IN SRI LANKA

10/03/2016

An Open Letter to The Honourable Minister of Education,

Sir,

This letter comes to you from Positive Hopes Alliance; an organization comprising of people living with HIV, The National Union of Sea Farers in Sri Lanka; a union that works tirelessly to prevent HIV among the seafaring community of this country, The Youth Advocacy Network Sri Lanka; young people that advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights, and The Grassrooted Trust that works on Comprehensive Sexuality and Relationship Education and HIV prevention, Care and Support.

Your statement on the 5th of March 2016 has no doubt elicited multiple responses as the media coverage indicates. This response is on behalf of people living with HIV, and those who work to prevent the further spread of HIV in Sri Lanka. People living with HIV are citizens of this country. They have had to often overcome difficult and challenging circumstances; stigma and discrimination related to their HIV status. The message of AIDS=DEATH in the 1980s exacerbated the fear and ignorance, and this has been well documented. A copy of The People Living with HIV Stigma Index Sri Lanka (2010) has been couriered to your office for further reference. In 2016 we have come far since the early 80s when pain and death were so much a part of the fabric of surviving HIV. With HIV treatment, provided free by the Ministry of Health, Sri Lankans now have access to life saving medication that increases the quality of life and allows for people to actually live full and productive lives despite their HIV status.  With what we know about HIV transmission today, even mothers in Sri Lanka, with the right medical advice and assistance are giving birth to HIV negative children. Treatment is considered prevention with Pre-Exposure and Post Exposure Prophylaxis in the form of antiretroviral therapy. Life after HIV is not just possible, life after HIV is a reality for hundreds, if not thousands of Sri Lankans. Please visit – aidscontrol.gov.lk – a comprehensive information portal set up by the Ministry of Health to verify our statements, double check statistics etc, if you see fit, and are so inclined.

Some may argue that your statement, in response to the unfortunate incidents involving the boy and mother from Kuliyapitiya has compromised the prevention efforts of the Ministry of Health and Civil Society Organizations. As organizations working on HIV prevention, this gives us serious pause for consideration. We have to revalue our strategies and approaches to HIV prevention. Government awareness efforts, Global Fund funded prevention among key populations (those considered most vulnerable to HIV in Sri Lanka including those who sell sex, men who have sex with men, people who use drugs), workplace programmes by the HIV Business Coalition,  and prevention efforts by other mandated agencies have all, apparently, failed. Miserably. At least in Kuliyapitiya. And with you, most definitely.

Your statement that a mother can pass on HIV to her child lacks the most basic facts on HIV transmission; surely you could’ve googled the information and responded more thoughtfully? And just so you know, mothers living with HIV do sleep next to their children, and also other members of their family. We can only hope that they continue to believe in the veracity of the information they’ve received from medical professionals and other advocates of prevention, and don’t assume that the Minister of Education knows better.

The people of Kuliyapitiya have put on an exhibition of wilful ignorance that is fed by the lack of access to accurate and comprehensive information among the general public. There is real fear among some people living with HIV that their family members, who don’t have HIV, would suffer a similar fate to that of the mother and boy of Kuliyapitiya. Fear is what we strive to overcome when living with HIV. Fear of dying – before learning, and then believing, you can live with it. Fear of medical costs – before learning of the free government programme. Fear of people finding out. In your quest for votes you ignored the facts.  In your quest for votes you disclosed the confidential status of the mother by suggesting she is HIV positive. What gave you that right? If you check, you’ll find that you have contravened the articles on confidentiality of both the National HIV Policy (2011) championed by the Ministry of Health, and the National HIV Policy in the World of Work (2011), championed by the Ministry of Labour.  You also went further to cast aspersions on her character, in an attempt to save face after being pilloried for your ignorance. Is this behaviour befitting of a Minister of Education?

Sir, we request that you make an apology to the mother and her son. Show the decent men and women who voted for you that you are willing to accept the fact you made a mistake, and that you are willing to learn and share accurate andappropriate information to stem the ignorant and bigoted responses by some in our country.

Finally, those of us working on HIV prevention, request that you help us by putting in place a plan to make stop playing catch-up with adults. The reason you don’t see a campaign for 4 + 4 = 8 is because we learn that in school.  It is time we accepted the fact that we need literacy that transcends numbers and letters. We need emotional intelligence as much or more than book smarts.  We need accurate and comprehensive, scientifically accurate approaches to sexuality education. UNESCO defines it thus –

“An age-appropriate, culturally relevant approach to teaching about sex, reproduction, and relationships by providing scientifically accurate, realistic, non-judgemental information.”

- UNESCO Technical Guidance Team, Comprehensive Sexuality Education

It is time to listen Honourable Minister. Kindly set up a mechanism to introduce Comprehensive Sexuality and Relationship Education in schools. And in the meantime, kindly ensure that your teachers are trained to effectively implement the existing HIV lessons in the Health Science curricula.

Let’s also stop pretending that classroom approaches to HIV prevention will exacerbate promiscuity. Our children and young people have access to uninterrupted streams of information online (the internet), and also from their peers. We need to balance out this noise with a sensible, scientific approach in the classroom. There are those who will help you achieve this goal. UNESCO, UNFPA, and UNICEF have all claimed to be in discussion with you in this regard. It is time to listen. 23 young people of school going age were infected with HIV in 2015, 22 in 2014 (Ministry of Health Data). How many more do we need before we change our blinkered approach to the facts of life?

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely,

Positive Hopes Alliance, National Union of Seafarers in Sri Lanka, Youth Advocacy Network & The Grassrooted Trust.

8th March 2016