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Crash plan to curb AIDS in N-E
From Sinniah Gurunathan - Trinco correspondent
An emergency action plan has been formulated by the World Bank funded National HIV/AIDS Prevention Project for 2003-2008 to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in the North-East province. This was revealed at a conference held at the provincial Health Ministry auditorium in Trincomalee.

Under this plan the provincial HIV/AIDS committee would be formed, said Project Consultant Dr.S.A.P. Gnanissara. The second highest incidence of HIV/AIDS has been reported from the north-east, Provincial Director of Health Services, Dr.Kumaravetpillai said at the conference. Four AIDS cases have been detected in the Batticaloa district and two in Trincomalee district, health officials said.

Except the Deputy Director of Health Services and other related medical personnel from the Jaffna district, which has recorded the highest incidence of AIDS victims in the province, at least six other deputy directors with their officials from the other seven districts of the N-E handling AIDS prevention, were present at the conference.

Human shield for monk
By Harinda Vidanage
Buddhist monks and members of the Sihala Urumaya will provide a human shield for a Buddhist monk enabling him to copy inscriptions from an archaeological site in the Ampara district where the Tamil guerrillas are reported to have turned the monk away.
The monks and the members of the Sihala Urumaya members accompanied by a group of journalists will go tomorrow with Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera to Walakapitiya in Ampara to the exact spot where the Tamil Tigers had earlier turned him away.

SU spokesman Udaya Gammanpila said the site was of great archaeological importance and prior to the MoU signed between the government and LTTE, monks had freely travelled in this area. The SU is expecting resistance from Tamil Tigers, he said but added that it was not his concern and the government should be responsible for their lives as they go to this place as civilians.

The plan is to let Medhananda Thera complete copying te stone inscriptions while giving him protection by forming a human shield after which the thera is scheduled to give a talk on the historical importance of the inscriptions. SU leader Thilak Karunaratne is expected to make a speech critical of the government's attitude towards the LTTE and the peace process after which patriotic songs would be sung by the SU members.

Meanwhile Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera, the deputy secretary of the National Bhikkhu Convention told The Sunday Times that this visit was originally organized by his association and because of the risk that was being taken, both the President and the Prime Minister had been informed.

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