Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has come under severe flak from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over his failure to curb the Kuliyapitiya incident from getting out of hand and making a highly serophobic comment.
Kariyawasam, it is learnt had complained about MP Ranjan Ramanayake visiting Kuliyapitiya to meet the 6 year old child who was deprived from attending school as it was rumoured that he was HIV+.
*File photo
The education minister had said that Ramanayake had messed things up by going to Kuliyapitiya. However instead of siding with Kariyawasam, Wickremesinghe had blamed him and his failure to sort things out before it got out of hand and also his anti-HIV comments, including his statement where he said that he will get a court order to separate the child from the mother.
Ramanayake is reported to have visited the boy and his mother on the instructions of President Maithripala Sirisena. It is also learnt that Wickremesinghe has called and thanked Ramanayake for visiting the child and his mother.
Meanwhile, issuing a statement on Sunday Kariyawasam said that the media had distorted his statement, and had once again tried to make a circus out of the situation.
“It is saddening to note that some have twisted my statement,” he said.
Kariyawasam also said that while the child should not be deprived of his mother’s love, but at least for a few days the child must be given over to probationary services, which will give confidence to everyone that the child is safe and not infected with HIV, which will allow authorities to find him a school.
“It is our duty to safeguard the child, specially amidst belief that the mother also is infected with HIV,” he said. However, it was Kariyawasam himself who claimed on Saturday that the mother was in fact HIV+.
Meanwhile, Kariyawasam has gone on record assuring that he will provide a school for the child. “I have already held discussions with a school in Colombo with this regard, and have also spoken to a private firm who is willing to bear all the expenses for the child until he completes his education, which will also include providing a house for him and his mother to live if they have to move,” today he told the BBC.
But on Saturday speaking to the media soon after visiting Malvathu Viharaya, Kariyawasam said that the Zonal Education Director has confirmed that the child’s father had died from HIV, and even the child’s mother is HIV+.
“This is a tropical country and there are ways the child can contract it as he sleeps next to his mother. So we have requested the mother to hand over the child to probationary services, but if she doesn’t then we will get a court order and take him away,” he said. He had also threatened to take a court order and separate the child from the mother, because as Sri Lanka is a tropical country and as the child sleeps next to the mother, he too can contract HIV.
Maithree Wickramasingha, wife of Premier Wickremesinghe, who is a Professor and specializes in gender and women’s studies has been a key speaker on HIV/AIDS and other gender sensitive issues.
The Colombo Telegraph wishes to keep on record that it at no point distorted the education minister’s statement, but also included the unedited audio of his statement which was carried along with the story titled ‘Audio: Education Minister Akila Viraj Suffering From HIV Phobia; Threatens To Separate Kuliyapitiya Mother From Child’ which was published on March 6.
We publish below Karayawasam’s earlier statement again:
Tamil from the north / March 7, 2016
fire the idiot
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Ben Hurling / March 7, 2016
Not only should he be fired. The guy should be separated from his own family for well known reasons.
Cheers!
PS:
BTW, silence of TCK admissions committee on this matter is deafening. Something tells me all is not well. Despite the much trumpeted initial enthusiasm. Hope Kuliapitiya stupidity has not crept into so called elite schools and their eco systems as well. After all we are all Sri Lankans. Stupidity is in our DNA, Trinity or Kuliyapitiya.
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Amarasiri / March 7, 2016
Tamil from the north
“fire the idiot “
Thee is no Tradition of Firing Idiots in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho, by the Paras.
The Paras love the Idiots.
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Nic / March 7, 2016
This moron heading the Country’s Education needs an education first. Wonder what this guy’s formal education is – other than being an insensitive open mouth idiot. What right has he to separate a child from parents/mother? There is no abuse of any sorts reported – so what is he – the judge and the jury?
Furthermore – to be insensitive to the issue of a child (minor) being affected, the Minister has violated the fundamental right to privacy of this minor. The PM should go beyond and perhaps even remove the Minister from his portfolio for insensitivity and incompetence. Rajan visiting the child or home is admirable – showing compassion and understanding to the circumstance of the child and mother due to the expose of the Minister. The child being inflicted of this ailment is no fault of his and we still do not know the circumstances of the mother getting it either.
A clear indication of the height of incompetent, unprofessional, crude, brainless bums being appointed to cabinet!
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Shan / March 7, 2016
He should resign for this irresponsible statement. It is a shame that the Minister of Education is not educated enough about the ways people get infected with HIV. Whole world will laugh at us if this news ended up in world media.
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K.A Sumanasekera / March 7, 2016
Will Ramanayaka get the gig?..
What a marvelous choice these Yahapalana suckers have..
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Pran / March 7, 2016
How did we end up with such an Ignorant FOOL out of all the places as the minister of Education. Before the Kuliyapitiya villagers the specialists must educate the minister.His statement was wrong in many levels. First he has no decency to say the mother is infected, when she is not ( that is defamation) , violation of her privacy , and human rights. A GOD help our kids, and education system when we have such sub par intellectual for a minister.
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Lets have a laugh / March 7, 2016
Its a pity a very sad pity that a lovely country like sri lanka has to have concrete brained, pitiless, illiterate ( despite his so called educational qualifications ), hollow eyed, poisonous creatures like this so called education minister.
It is PM Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe who is to be totally blamed for this debacle and the untold sorrow that has been experienced by the little boy and his mother.
If the PM had stepped in to this at the correct time he could have solved this over the counter. ( A stitch in time would have saved nine ) Where were you Mr PM when you were badly needed ????????????
This guy AVK should have been a mudalali doing buisness selling anamaalu, kolikuttu, thambili, plain tea, panadols, and kothu roti.
He would have been more successful than at present and Ranil could have given him a small stall ( kadey ) near Sri Kotha to do his buisness. He also could have improved his knowledge about AIDS from his customers. He messed up his whole future by doing politics.
For Mr AVK, now the letters AIDS stands for the following.
Akila In Deep Shit ( AIDS )
“It is saddening to note that some have twisted my comments” states AVK.
It is saddening to note that you have twisted a little innocent boy’s future Mr AVK. You portray yourself as a loving father, but you have no brain to understand the burden of a poor single mother and son.
How can you ??????? You as a politico are like all politicos heartless, and like a Python cold blooded, waiting for the first opportunity to coil up and strangle a innocent victim.
You state that the media are distorted, so are you if you look at yourself in a miiror.
Sri Lanka is a tropical country and thats why Sri Lanka has tropical vermin like you who can only survive in tropical climates.
Anyway lets think of the mother and child.
1. Get the mother to a good hospital in Colombo and get her a full and comprehensive medical check up even if you have to pay for it.
2. Make sure the little boy is well taken care of by good samaritans or the social services till the mother is checked out.
3. Move your bloody a–e and do all that you can to find a good school for the little lad and full sponsorship for his studies.
4. Ask all and sundry to help give mother and child a peacefull home somewhere with a new identity.
5. Keep your big mouth shut and use your hardened brain.
6. Apologise to the PM for spoiling his name even though its his fault for giving you coconut pluckers cabinet ministership. Remember that RW may look like a poofter but in reality he is a tough man and next time he will kick you up your a–e.
7. Finally love all kids in the same manner you love your kids.
God forgive you and bless you to do better in the future.
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Amarasiri / March 7, 2016
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
RE: Ranil Blames Akila Over Kuliyapitiya HIV Controversy
“Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has come under severe flak from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over his failure to curb the Kuliyapitiya incident from getting out of hand and making a highly serophobic comment.”
Can you test your education minister for his common sense, general intelligence and critical analysis and thinking skills?
Suggest that make him take the GMAT Test. Let’s rank him. Let’s rank All the Ministers. You do have one minister Laksman Burugalla as well.
Do intelligence Test, and
Graduate Management Admission Test
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduate_Management_Admission_Test
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT (/ˈdʒiːmæt/ (jee-mat))) is a computer adaptive test (CAT) intended to assess certain analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English for use in admission to a graduate management program, such as an MBA.The GMAT does not measure business knowledge or skill, nor does it measure intelligence.According to the test owning company, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the GMAT assesses analytical writing and problem-solving abilities, while also addressing data sufficiency, logic, and critical reasoning skills that it believes to be vital to real-world business and management success On June 5, 2012, GMAC introduced an integrated reasoning section to the exam that is designed to measure a test taker’s ability to evaluate data presented in new formats and multiple sources.
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MrRetort / March 7, 2016
It is best for President and Prime Minister to keep Akila in compulsory Probationary Period till he matures to become a Cabinet Minister. Otherwise he might contaminate and spread all kind of foolish views among the Cabinet Ministers. It is still better he be given an induction training as a Pradeshiya Sabha level another five years and report his progress before taking Cabinet responsibilities.
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Peace Lover / March 7, 2016
what a joker he is to say’This is a tropical country and there are ways the child can contract it as he sleeps next to his mother. So we have requested the mother to hand over the child to probationary services’
Please can someone educate this minister on how HIV can be spread and how it cannot be transmitted
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Montana / March 7, 2016
This guy fucking stupid uneducated fool how can a person can get HIV if he or she sleep next to person without any sexeul contact.
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thrish / March 7, 2016
What do you expect when you put uneducated nincompoop in charge as ministers?, just because he has got a posh name?
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Punchiputha / March 7, 2016
I thought he is a graduate. Why uneducated ? Ministers must necessarily be PhD holders or not. I think Akila was okay compared to SB or the like ministers – anyways, this issue in terms of HIV -has spread that far was due to lanken irresponsible media. They feel they should interfere anything and everything. That is not okay. Where had these journos during the days of Maharaja ? These issues are very sensitive I would say – that family would never be able to find peace since HIV is seen as reeri yaka to the uneducated masses though I know 83 year olds that have survivied with HIV for the last 40 years. There are good medicine today. Besides, it is not so infections as COMMON cold – all these knowledge should be passe dot the poor folks that behave even beyond some treibes in Africa.
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thrishu / March 7, 2016
Yeah in Sri Lanka degrees are dozen to a “panam deka”, just like buying whitebait. I said uneducated, not decorated with cheap degrees.
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Cheers! / March 7, 2016
This guy is a total moron – not just for these ridiculous statements on HIV, but it seems like every time he opens his mouth, he utters some crap.
His appointment as Minister of Education should be rescinded and someone with some expertise in Education (or at least with some intelligence) should be appointed in his place.
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Dhobi / March 7, 2016
Tragedy of ignorance. But Surely, Hon PM, Akila, Malick, Mangala, Sagala all know about the dangers of HIV and transmission via unprotected sex and bodily fluids? Condoms are critical specially when one has anal sex. Surely even John knew this when he overdosed on viagra and ecstasy?
The tragedy of this child is that the father had AIDS and HIV and then gave it to the mother. How did that happen? Was the father having anal sex unprotected ? or was he an IV drug user sharing needles? HIV cannot pass via casual contact. It is present in all bodily fluids but the pathogen does not exist in high enough rates in tears or sneezing fluids. But if a person does have an open wound it can pass onto the blood stream if a person bites a person etc. There is genuine dangers but this poor kid should not be punished.
In Africa and in India HIV transmission is mostly via unprotected heterosexual sex and drug use. In the West mostly still via unprotected homosexual sex and IV drug use. Surely an intellectual giant like Akila knows this?
This child is not a danger to anyone. But get to the bottom of the case to stop further spread via sex etc. First tragic death of AIDS in Sri Lanka was a decent homosexual man who contracted it in London via gay sex. Spread in India is mostly through long distance Truck drivers having sex with sex workers etc. All these are known to the Education minister. Surely the Hon PM can educate them?
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Daham / March 7, 2016
Minister Akila Viraj is not a bad guy but he is not the most suitable guy to hold the most important ministry(education) since he does not seem to be clever, efficient or tactful. His utterances are not ethical. He was appointed as a cabinet minister because he is so close to the PM Ranil like Sagala Ratnayaka. Look what is happening to law and order in the country. Both Ranil’s mates are inefficient although they are two good gentlemen. Similarly defense portfolio is held by timid president who got ulterior motives. These three ministries Education, Defence and law and order should be changed with more efficient people.
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Funlover / March 7, 2016
If not for any other reason, this idiot of a Minister afflicted with ‘foot and mouth disease’ should be excluded from any position that requires discretion in the discharge of its duties. Since F&M is said to be highly contagious be shoud be persuaded to take compulsory seclusion. If he refuses, the PM should take a Court order to enforce the seclusion.
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Rizwan / March 7, 2016
This government would be VIOLATING THE LIBERTIES of the mother and her child by taking him away. This must not be done under any circumstances.
The education minister does not know basic science. HIV is not contagious. It can only be transmitted through sexual activity or through blood transfusion.
A simple blood test of the child will determine if said child is HIV positive. Regardless of the result, there is no reason why he should not continue to attend school as the other children would not be at risk. The school should merely note his case in matters of blood transmission and so on.
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Point of View / March 7, 2016
He is not fit to run that ministry. Period.
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Devaka S.Jayasuriya - Kadawata / March 7, 2016
Ranil generally speaks once the horse is bolted, Now Ranil becomes the good Samaritan. Kuliyapitiya parents in my view can not be blamed 100% as they are not educated and sagacious to accommodate a child of HIV inflicted parents among their kids . I remember in the past Dr Mrs Kamalika Abeyratne was absconded by certain Doctors themselves once they found she was suffering from HIV. But the education minister would have done something ab initio to avoid this conundrum .
Public must be educated by way of tacit ways like Prof. Nimal Senanayake did by writing teledrama scripts like ” Ella Langa walawwa ” to show how lepers can be cured ” Gangulen egodata ” and ” Maya mandhira ” . that is the intellectual way to elucidate people . not by letting the Villages to catch fire .
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Lal / March 7, 2016
This incident shows how unprofessional and immature our politicians and bureaucracy are. It’s been a month since this matter exploded and still no solution. Isn’t there a facebook group or an organisation who can mobilise people to stage a demonstration at Lipton roundabout or surround the ministry of education? JVP where are you?
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KA Sumanasekera / March 7, 2016
“This is a Tropical Country And there are ways the child can contract HIV as he sleeps next to his mother” .. Akil Kariyawasam the Yahapalana Minister of Education in Srilanka..
Has this Minister gone Troppo , Or Is he just an absolute dick head?…
Wonder what the Gay Minister/ Ministers have to say about their colleague.this Yahapalana Minister?…
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PinkLips / March 7, 2016
They are all gay. How do you think they get their plum ministerships even whilst being so junior. Sagala, Akila are all very up close and personal with the PM for obvious reasons. But they are in denial like most Lankans. At least Mangala is open. But they all need to use condoms and not have unprotected anal sex and also not engage in prolonged pink lip kissing.
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BBS Rep / March 7, 2016
This is national disgrace. A Minister acting so gung-ho and with so much ignorance. Does he have children. I want to ask him to just imagine someone removing his child from his custody. How will he feel about it.
Living in a tropical country does not make HIV any worse with regards to the spread of the disease. I wonder from which ignorant tree the Minister plucked this misinformation.
The media did the right thing. Expose such ignorant and irresponsible officials to the maximum.
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Sriyani Mangalika / March 7, 2016
First you should calculate the number of votes reduce as according to decision then decide.
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Vichy Silva / March 7, 2016
There are conflicting reports in the media about this case. Some say that the father died of a complication of TB but not aids. Some reports say that the child and the mother are free of aids and the child was holding his medical report in the picture as proof. Kariyasam says that there is a possibility of child having aids. My question is what is the correct authority the GMOA doing about this. They get involved in every unnecessary issue and even threaten trade union action on stuff like AFTA when there are plenty of politicians to take care of these issues. Why can’t they clarify this matter once and for all. They can test both mother and child and issue a medical report and also educate the public about how aids is spread. They are just keeping quiet. Probably they are waiting for approval from MR for them to go ahead. Shame on GMOA. You guys have failed miserably in your duty when it Is most needed. Furthermore you guys behave like an attendants union, threatening union action on every issue nothing to do with your profession at the expense of the poor patients. The present administration of GMOA is a disgrace to this noble profession. The membership should get rid these MR stooges from this noble body and safeguard it’s dignity.
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Patriot / March 7, 2016
The present regime of MS and Ranil is not doing anything right. However, the previous regime is no better. It is worse. Will the people of Sri Lanka ever find good politicians who will honestly build the country?
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Mala De Silva / March 7, 2016
I had a respect for Minister Akila , and no more after this statement. How can Education Minister of a country can publicly say that mother is a HIV infected. They are very sensitive information and should not be declared publicly. If this happened in democratic counties like England, Australia, Canada he could have been sacked immediately disclosing such a sensitive information.
This has proved that he is not suitable to the important ministry like Education in Sri Lanka, because Sri Lankan education system has generated world class academics.
He has damaged the UNP reputation
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Wickramasiri / March 7, 2016
Kariyawasam’s statement only proves the paucity of intellect amongst the parliamentarians. He is not fit to be the Minister of Education and must resign his position.
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srinath.gunaratne / March 7, 2016
Once a week, A turd from the parliament and show up and shove his head on a pool of shit. What is the difference between Toyyo and Bayyao?
All are frogs in the well calling kettle black. Every effort should be exercised to remove these turds from the power and bring in intelligent human beings.
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Sinchoappu / March 7, 2016
you guys enjoying on the west, can only just pass the kind of views but not doing the least for the nation. What can you do in terms of change the attitudes of the people of the uncivlized country ? They may feel HIV could infect to other children too if the little boy would have been part of their schools. Awareness programs are what we lack in years. That can then bring solutions any problem croping up. Even today, very same blind folks would never bleieve that Rajaakshe looted their sums letting his uneducated illfated sons do anything and everything but on the cost of the tax payers. Even begger pays his taxes through buying his daily goods – so MR has eaten a lot of funds during the last part of his reign – deliberately by giving dansala and the like extravaganzas for you guys. His properties must be taken to the states if those bills cant further be paid by the ruling govt.
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Native Vedda / March 7, 2016
srinath.gunaratne
“Every effort should be exercised to remove these turds from the power and bring in intelligent human beings.”
I hate to agree.
Can you name one intelligent human being in this island?
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Wow / March 7, 2016
really? and how do you plan to do that? bring in intelligent human beings as you say.. This is the system of a country that is in the verge of collapse. Brace yourself, we are all gonna drown and there is nothing we can do about it :D
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The Professional / March 7, 2016
First Minister AVK should get himself tested because his conduct in private life is rumored to be immoral.
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Sunil Dahanayake / March 7, 2016
Two Education Ministers (School Education and University Education) are first class “Buruwas”. They do not understand the basic human rights.
What can we expect from a Yahapalanaya government who claimed that they have appointed Ministers based on the scientific analysis.
We should not blame the government. We should blame all the “Buruwas” who voted for the Yahapalanaya politicians without considering their past history. The voters have completely forgotten the UNP’s historical record from 1977 to 1994 including the depriving of our basic democratic rights during that period.
This will not be the end of “Gonparts”.
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Gune / March 7, 2016
This dope of a minister now says that the child’s family background was not good. Who the hell is he to be so judgemental and personal about a matter and taking it public. Even if he child’s family background is not good he has no business to make such statements. Our politicians lack sensitivity besides intelligence and compassion.
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Piranha / March 7, 2016
Morons like Akila Viraj and Lakshman Kiriella are a disgrace to the government’s image. These two are apt examples of how power makes politicians to behave like jackasses.
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