Over 200 Chinese villagers in the southwestern province of Sichuan
have signed a petition to banish a HIV-positive eight-year-old boy, state media
reported.
A photo
shows the boy, Kunkun, watching villagers unanimously vote for his
removal in a meeting held in early December. Even his own grandfather, has
added his own name to the petition.
"Kunkun
is diagnosed with AIDS, causing great fear among the villagers and village
children. In order to ensure the safety of villagers and children, we demand
that authorities quarantine Kunkun for treatment," the petition reads. Continue...
Kunkun --
a pseudonym used to protect his identity, was expelled from school and
ostracized by members of the community after he was diagnosed in 2011,
"He's a ticking time bomb. My daughter is around his age, and
goes to a boarding school now. What happens if she gets bitten while playing
with him here at home? That boy is too dangerous," says He Jialing, one of
the villagers.
The report said the boy contracted the disease from his mother
before he was born.
The county government office told CNN that Kunkun's case is
currently under discussion.
China's AIDS fight
Some 780,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in China, according
to the latest count by the Joint United Nations Program on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2011.
People living with HIV or AIDS in China face widespread discrimination
and stigma, especially in rural areas where there is a lack of education about
the disease.
China has sought to tackle the stigma by establishing laws and
regulations prohibiting discrimination against people with HIV.
China's First Lady Peng Liyuan who was appointed World Health
Organization's goodwill ambassador for AIDS in 2011, has appeared in public
advertisements holding hands and playing with HIV-positive children.
Despite China's fight against AIDS, cases such as Kunkun's suggest
inconsistency with official policy.
Kunkun, whose parents are migrant workers in Guangzhou, lives with
his 69-year-old grandfather. With no school willing to take him in, he is often
found roaming the streets alone.
"No one wants to play with me," the newspaper quoted
Kunkun as saying.
His grandfather told local media the boy's parents have stopped
sending money back home since he was diagnosed.
In response to the petition, local authorities have stressed that
Kunkun's rights should be respected.
They plan to launch an educational campaign hoping to reduce the
stigma of people living with HIV/AIDS.
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