CRI听力:Exile of HIV-positive Boy Sparks Outcry

The exile of an HIV-positive boy by his fellow villagers has sparked an outcry across China.

Eight-year-old Kunkun reportedly contracted the disease from his mother before he was born.

He was banished from his home after more than 200 villagers in Xichong County, Sichuan Province, signed a petition.

Massive protests emerged online after the report came out, with many urging people to stop discrimination.

While the exile is controversial, locals insist the boy's destructive behavior was the driving force behind the petition.

Kun Kun's grandfather, who signed the petition first, blamed him for once setting fire to their own home and stealing money from him.

Local authorities say the case is currently under discussion.

There were 497,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in China at the end of October.

The lack of knowledge about the disease, especially in rural areas, still hampers the effort to reduce the stigma of people with HIV.