[Kabar-Irian] News: Oct 13-17 06

[Admin-Editors Kabar-Irian]

Oct 14-17 2006
KABAR IRIAN NEWS

TOPICS

* Two Chinese citizens deported from Papua
* Jail sought for Papua murder of Americans, Indonesian
* Prosecutors demand 20 years jail term
* Two wounded by gunfire
* Papua trials continue without defendants
* Police kill one in Papua as mob attacks over govt aid
* Revisiting economic group that is BIMP-Eaga
* Mulia city calm again after Friday's clash
* Nafsiah Mboi-Walinono: A determined fighter of HIV/AIDS
* Fiji question politician over Papua comment


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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20061013.G09&irec=8

Two Chinese citizens deported from Papua

JAYAPURA, Papua: The Jayapura Immigration Office deported two Chinese
citizens Thursday for misusing their visas. The two were put on a Garuda
Indonesia flight from Sentani airport to Jakarta, before being flown back
to China.

Jayapura Immigration Office head Giri Haryanto said the two were arrested
in Jayapura on Monday for illegally working as dentists.

"They violated regulations by working on dentures for patients without any
permits from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry," Giri said. He said
their activities violated Article 62 of the 1992 Immigration Law.

He said the two arrived in Jayapura on Oct. 6 and then traveled to a
number of cities, including Jakarta, Makassar, Ende, Kupang and Denpasar,
before returning to Jayapura.

"They entered the country using a ordinary visa, which did not allow them
to engage in dentistry work here," he said.

Meanwhile, three Malaysian citizens were arrested in Jayapura on Thursday
for illegally entering Indonesia through Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, Giri
said.

The three are being detained at the Jayapura Immigration Office awaiting
deportation. He said the three were suspected of involvement in illegal
logging. -- JP

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/13/AR2006101300405.html

Jail sought for Papua murder of Americans, Indonesian

Reuters
Friday, October 13, 2006; 8:11 AM

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian prosecutors demanded on Friday jail terms
for seven men for the 2002 murder of two Americans and an Indonesian in
Papua province near a mine run by a unit of U.S.-based Freeport-McMoRan
Copper & Gold Inc.

Ties between Indonesia and the United States were strained by the incident
and only improved after they agreed to collaborate in solving the case,
which had initially sparked suspicions the Indonesian military was
involved.

Prosecutors wanted the court to punish leading defendant Antonius Wamang
with a 20-year jail term for manslaughter and premeditated murder
including recruiting men for the ambush of cars carrying the victims.

"He has been proved of firing at the cars with an M-16 rifle... killing
three people at the scene," prosecutor Anita Asterida told the court.

Prosecutors have said in earlier sessions that Wamang thought white cars
passing through the mining area carried troops and decided to open fire.
In fact, the two vehicles were transporting Americans and Indonesians who
worked for a Freeport-run school.

Four people were injured.

In a subsequent session, the prosecution demanded Agustinus Anggaibak and
Yulianus Deikme, two men who allegedly helped Wamang prepare the ambush,
get 15 years in jail.

The prosecutors also asked the court to hand eight-year jail terms to four
other defendants for giving assistance to the attacking band.

Under Indonesian law, a prosecution sentencing demand serves as a strong
recommendation for the court, but judges have the right to ignore the
advice when considering their verdict.

Prosecutors have said Wamang and other gunmen were near Freeport's
Grasberg mine in late August 2002, under orders from Papuan separatist
commander Kelly Kwalik to attack Indonesian soldiers who were part of the
mine's security detail.

The mine has been a lightning rod for controversy.

Critics object to payments for security made to Indonesia's military,
while some Papuans complain the company does not do enough to help
impoverished locals, and some non-governmental organizations say it harms
the environment.

Wamang was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in 2004 on two counts of
murder over the killings.

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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/13/asia/AS_GEN_Indonesia_US_Teacher_Slayings.php

 Prosecutors demand 20 years jail term for suspect in US teacher killings
in Indonesia
The Associated Press

Published: October 13, 2006
JAKARTA, Indonesia Indonesian prosecutors Friday demanded seven men on
trial for the murders of two American teachers at a U.S. gold mine in
Papua province serve between 8 and 20 years in jail, the suspects' lawyer
said.

The men, all alleged members of Papua's rebel movement, walked out of the
court before the sentence recommendations were read out in protest at what
they have always maintained is an unfair trial, said attorney Johnson
Panjaitan.

Prosecutors demanded the alleged ringleader in the killings — 30-year-old
Antonius Wamang — serve 20 years for premeditated murder, said Panjaitan.
Three of the others should serve 15 years, while the final three should
serve eight, prosecutors said, according to Panjaitan.

The men are accused of opening fire on a vehicle carrying Rickey Lynn
Spier, 44, of Littleton, Colorado, and Leon Edwin Burgon, 71, of Sun
River, Oregon in 2002 with the mistaken belief that it was carrying
soldiers hired to guard the mine.

An Indonesian teacher traveling in the convoy was also killed in the
ambush on an isolated road leading to the mine, owned by New Orleans-based
Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Mine Inc.

Panjaitan said the men were convinced they could not get a fair trial in
Jakarta and were demanding to be tried in Papua.

"Since the beginning we have said this trial is a sham," he said.

Under Indonesian law, judges are free to ignore prosecutor demands when
sentencing.

Lawyers will respond to the sentence recommendations at the next hearing.

Prosecutors allege the men were members of a small rebel army fighting for
a separate state in the resource-rich eastern province. The mine has long
been held by separatists as a symbol of Jakarta-rule over the province.

The attack initially complicated ties between Jakarta and Washington amid
suspicions that Indonesian security forces were involved. The FBI, which
was involved in the arrests of the men last year, has unearthed no
evidence to back up those suspicions.


JAKARTA, Indonesia Indonesian prosecutors Friday demanded seven men on
trial for the murders of two American teachers at a U.S. gold mine in
Papua province serve between 8 and 20 years in jail, the suspects' lawyer
said.

The men, all alleged members of Papua's rebel movement, walked out of the
court before the sentence recommendations were read out in protest at what
they have always maintained is an unfair trial, said attorney Johnson
Panjaitan.

Prosecutors demanded the alleged ringleader in the killings — 30-year-old
Antonius Wamang — serve 20 years for premeditated murder, said Panjaitan.
Three of the others should serve 15 years, while the final three should
serve eight, prosecutors said, according to Panjaitan.

The men are accused of opening fire on a vehicle carrying Rickey Lynn
Spier, 44, of Littleton, Colorado, and Leon Edwin Burgon, 71, of Sun
River, Oregon in 2002 with the mistaken belief that it was carrying
soldiers hired to guard the mine.

An Indonesian teacher traveling in the convoy was also killed in the
ambush on an isolated road leading to the mine, owned by New Orleans-based
Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Mine Inc.

Panjaitan said the men were convinced they could not get a fair trial in
Jakarta and were demanding to be tried in Papua.

"Since the beginning we have said this trial is a sham," he said.

Under Indonesian law, judges are free to ignore prosecutor demands when
sentencing.

Lawyers will respond to the sentence recommendations at the next hearing.

Prosecutors allege the men were members of a small rebel army fighting for
a separate state in the resource-rich eastern province. The mine has long
been held by separatists as a symbol of Jakarta-rule over the province.

The attack initially complicated ties between Jakarta and Washington amid
suspicions that Indonesian security forces were involved. The FBI, which
was involved in the arrests of the men last year, has unearthed no
evidence to back up those suspicions.

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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/13/asia/AS_GEN_Indonesia_Papua_Violence.php

 Two wounded by gunfire after mob sets fire to local government office in
Papua
The Associated Press

Published: October 13, 2006
JAKARTA, Indonesia An angry mob, apparently upset after not receiving
welfare payments from local administrators, set fire to a government
building and a post office in Papua on Friday, a police official said.

Two people were wounded by gunfire, but it was unclear if the shots were
fired by police or civilians. The buildings were seriously damaged in the
blaze.

Parts of the town of Mulia, 3,300 kilometers (2,050 miles) east of Jakarta
in Central Papua, were sealed off while investigators searched the crime
scene, provincial police spokesman Kartono Wangsadisatra said.

A crowd of about 1,000 people went on a rampage after seeing that others
had been paid a quarterly social security payment while they had not,
Wangsadisatra said.

No arrests were immediately reported and no additional details were
available.

Papua, Indonesia's easternmost province comprising the western half of the
island of New Guinea, is plagued by high unemployment and is also home to
a separatist movement that launches periodic attacks on Indonesian
security forces, which have been accused of human rights abuses.


JAKARTA, Indonesia An angry mob, apparently upset after not receiving
welfare payments from local administrators, set fire to a government
building and a post office in Papua on Friday, a police official said.

Two people were wounded by gunfire, but it was unclear if the shots were
fired by police or civilians. The buildings were seriously damaged in the
blaze.

Parts of the town of Mulia, 3,300 kilometers (2,050 miles) east of Jakarta
in Central Papua, were sealed off while investigators searched the crime
scene, provincial police spokesman Kartono Wangsadisatra said.

A crowd of about 1,000 people went on a rampage after seeing that others
had been paid a quarterly social security payment while they had not,
Wangsadisatra said.

No arrests were immediately reported and no additional details were
available.

Papua, Indonesia's easternmost province comprising the western half of the
island of New Guinea, is plagued by high unemployment and is also home to
a separatist movement that launches periodic attacks on Indonesian
security forces, which have been accused of human rights abuses.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20061014.A05

Papua trials continue without defendants

National News - October 14, 2006

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Timika

Relatives of seven Papuans on trial for the 2002 killings of two Americans
and one Indonesian demanded a fair trial in Papua on Friday as the
defendants continued to boycott the session in a Jakarta court.

The country's ties with the United States were strained by the incident
and only improved after they agreed to collaborate in solving the case,
which had initially sparked suspicions the Indonesian military was
involved.

During the Friday trial at the Central Jakarta District Court, prosecutors
read out charges against the defendants, demanding jail sentences for the
men of between eight and 20 years.

"They have intentionally and together performed the murders," prosecutor
Anita Asterida said quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Prosecutors sought 20 years' jail for Antonius Wamang for planning the
murders and 15 years for Agustinus Angaibak and Yulianus Deikme for their
involvement.

They demanded eight years' jail for each of four other defendants -- Rev.
Ishak Onawame, Esau Onawame, Hardi Sugumol and Yarius Kiwak -- for
assisting the men.

Six of the defendants arrived at the court for the trial but refused to
sit in the dock.

Speaking from the visitors section, one of the defendants, Rev. Ishak
Onawame, asked the judges to consider customary law, religion and
"modernity" when trying the case, saying that Papua's 253 tribes had long
relied on customary law.

"As evidence, we're still using customary law. In modern law, right
becomes wrong, and wrong becomes right," he was quoted by Antara news
agency.

Ishak accused the judges, led by Andriani Nurdin, of understanding the
killing only from its "packaging", not its content.

"The panel of judges should know the content first, not only the wrapping.
Don't open the package first and you make a wrong decision," he said
without elaborating.

The accused then left the trial before it ended because one of their
number, Hardi, was sick.

"We only want to stand trial if Hardi is present," Ishak said before
departing under police guard.

The prosecutor showed a letter from a doctor to the panel of judges,
explaining Hardi's absence.

The seven defendants are protesting their trial in Jakarta and have
boycotted previous sessions.

The men are accused of shooting dead three PT Freeport Indonesia employees
when they ambushed their car convoy near the company's Grassberg gold and
copper mine in 2002.

The trial is scheduled to continue on Oct. 31 when judges will read out
their verdicts.

In Timika, demonstrators staged a peaceful protest outside the district
office, after marching from Rev. Ishak's house carrying posters and
singing.

At the building, which was tightly guarded by police, the protesters led
by Ishak's son, Damaris, prayed for 30 minutes to ask the trial proceed in
accordance with the law.

After the prayer, a protester, Vinsen Oniyoma, said in a speech the seven
defendants were innocent. He said the trial was politically motivated and
urged the men be released.

If they were not, there would be more protests to demand the closure of PT
Freeport's Grassberg gold mine, he said.

"We seek truth and justice in accordance with the country's laws. We want
the Papua Police, council and governor to look into this issue. Papuans
are poor and have suffered enough," Damaris said.

Damaris said the arrest of the seven was unlawful and urged the government
to allow his aging father to return home.

Timika district office head Arifin told the protesters their demands would
be delivered to judges at the Jakarta court.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20061014.G01


Police kill one in Papua as mob attacks over govt aid

National News - October 14, 2006

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

After being denied government assistance, dozens of Papuans went on a
rampage Friday, burning government offices and clashing with police
officers.

Police opened fire on the mob after they set fire to a post office and the
Puncak Jaya regency council building in Mulia city at about 1 p.m. One
person was killed and four others injured. The deceased has been
identified as Lirius Tabuni.

The violence began after dozens of people were denied Rp 300,000 cash
payments from the government. The money was being distributed to offset
the financial impact of fuel price increases.

According to officials, the people in question were not eligible for the
money because they did not possess official cash assistance cards.

The situation quickly deteriorated, as they attacked the Mulia post office
and dozens of nearby private residences. The mob then moved to the regency
council building, which they burned to the ground.

Police officers deployed to the scene opened fire to regain control of the
situation.

Papua Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Max Donald Aer said the rampaging mob
left officers no choice but open fire before any more damage was done.

"The residents who did not possess the cards entitling them to the cash
assistance went on the attack," he said.

There were no immediate reports of arrests in the case.

He said police had taken control of the situation and calm had returned to
Mulia.

However, a platoon from the Papua Police's paramilitary Brimob unit has
been deployed in the city to ensure there is no repeat of the violence.

Asked about the residents who did not have the cards entitling them to
cash assistance, the marketing manager of postal company PT Pos
Indonesia's Jayapura branch, Yohanes Untung, said the cards were issued on
the authority of local statistics bureaus responsible for registering poor
families.

He said the postal company was only responsible for delivering the cash to
those people already in possession of cards.

In Puncak Jaya regency, 22,286 residents are eligible for the cash
assistance, amounting to more than Rp 6.6 billion (US$726,717) in total.

This was just the latest violent incident since the government began
distributing the cash assistance earlier this year.

In May, five people were injured in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, when a
large crowd of people attempted to force their way into the city's post
office.

In Bandung regency, five people were arrested after dozens of residents
vandalized a village administrative office during a dispute over the
assistance.

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http://business.inq7.net/money/features/view_article.php?article_id=26837

Revisiting economic group that is BIMP-Eaga

By Allan Nawal
Inquirer
Last updated 11:31pm (Mla time) 10/15/2006

Published on page B2-1 of the October 16, 2006 issue of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer

MANADO, INDONESIA -- When the Asian financial crisis struck in 1997, the
fledgling sub-regional economic cooperation between Brunei, Indonesia,
Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP) started to falter.

It had been barely three years since talks aimed at accelerating the
growth of the four countries’ least developed areas were initiated.

Under the East Asian Growth Area (Eaga) concept, the provinces of
Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Malacca Islands, West Papua in Indonesia, Mindanao
and Palawan in the Philippines, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan in Malaysia and
Brunei Darussalam, would foster closer trade and investment relationships.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos, whose administration vigorously pushed
the idea of closer ties with the four Southeast Asian neighbors, had
projected that the Eaga concept would result in economic growth for
Mindanao.

For Ramos, economic growth in Mindanao would also become an effective tool
against the Muslim insurgency that has been dogging the Manila government
for more than three decades.

Then the currency crisis hit and BIMP Eaga was placed on the back burner.

“Nagkanya kanya muna (They went their separate ways),” was how Efren Abu,
the current Philippine special envoy to the BIMP-Eaga, described how
members of the sub-regional cooperation behaved at the onset of the
financial crisis.

Abu says by that time, nobody was talking anymore about BIMP-Eaga, once
hailed as the answer to the woes of the least developed areas of Southeast
Asia.

“During the time of President Joseph Estrada, it was totally forgotten,”
he said.

When President Macapagal-Arroyo came to power in 2001, the idea of
revitalizing the Eaga concept surfaced.

The Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) based in Davao City
started to pick up the pieces of what was left of the Eaga concept.

Networking with authorities in the three other members of the growth
polygon, Medco started to organize trade missions.

By this time, businessmen from General Santos City, who have previously
started talks with their counterparts in Indonesia, were making a bold
decision.

Mini successes

One group, led by fishing tycoon Doming Teng, trained its sights on
Bitung, an hour and a half trip by car from here.

Bitung, strategically located in the rich fishing grounds of Indonesia,
looked the most promising place for a tuna cannery plant.

“We exchanged visits several times with our Indonesian partners,
practically the output of what we have been doing before in the Eaga,”
Teng says.

Three years ago, the partnership materialized and PT Sinar Pure Foods
International was born.

With $7.7 million in capital, Teng’s Signal Marine Ventures and its
Indonesian partners took over the ailing Pure Foods facilities inside a
4.5-hectare area in Raya Madidir.

Infusing more that $1 million in additional capital to revive the former
Pure Foods business, SMV and its Indonesian partners bought additional
machinery and improved existing ones, such as a fishmeal factory, an ice
plant and a cold storage facility.

PT Sinar’s throughput capacity was raised to 140 metric tons a day
although production was only currently at 35-40 MT a day.

“We still have problems with fish supply but we are trying to address
that,” Teng says.

PT Sinar markets its canned tuna products to Europe (55 percent), the
United States (43 percent) and Japan (2 percent).

Last year, PT Sinar’s revenues were $20 million, making it the second
biggest tuna exporting company in Indonesia.

“We are currently developing our Middle East market,” he says.

Teng says his group’s vision was not only to provide world-class products
to consumers but also to generate livelihood and employment under the Eaga
concept.

On the Indonesian side, PT Sinar’s business has generated 1,000 jobs at
the factory alone.

There is also the effect of its activities on other industries such as
empty cans producers.

“For local fishermen, we also help them by buying their catch,” he says.

But what about the Philippine side?

Teng says about 80 percent of PT Sinar’s raw materials come from General
Santos City.

“Filipino fishermen contribute to the majority of our fish supply. When
the financial crisis hit Asia in 1997, the fishing industry in General
Santos City was heavily affected. Even in the following years, it hardly
recovered,” Teng says.

Marfin Tan of the General Santos fishing industry association said PT
Sinar’s business in Bitung has assured the security and continuity of the
fishing sector.

Teng says PT Sinar also imports some of its packaging supplies from Mindanao.

“We still lack supplies for packaging materials and spare parts and this
causes cost-leaks because they are sourced elsewhere,” he says.

Teng says it would be better if investments in these areas would be made,
not only to help PT Sinar lower the cost, but also to help generate
livelihood.

A few meters away from PT Sinar, tuna canning company PT Samudra Sentosa
stands on a 3.3-hectare area.

Like PT Sinar, the Filipino owners of PT Samudra came to Bitung about
three years ago under the BIMP-Eaga concept.

Taking over the existing facilities of a company producing canned
vegetables such as asparagus, the General Santos-based Damalerio Group of
Companies infused more capital to establish a tuna canning plant.

“We are 100 percent Filipino-owned,” Gary Damalerio, PT Samudra’s
operations officer, says.

Like PT Sinar, Damalerio’s company exports its produce to the United States.

“We are also trying to source more fish because we cannot maximize our
capacity because of under supply,” he says.

Currently, PT Samudra gets half of its supply from General Santos City.

“We want to see an increase in the future. Our fishermen do not have the
capability right now because of lack of fishing boats,” he explains.

Reviving talks

The apparent success of the two companies under the Eaga concept has
encouraged government officials to revive talks on economic cooperation.

Abu says upcoming talks—including the one scheduled at the sidelines of
the Asean summit in Cebu this year—between Eaga players would center on
“doable” things such as trading linkages.

“This is a good start,” he comments.

Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez says he wanted the success of the big
businesses replicated, but he wants small and medium enterprise (SMEs) in
his province to get into the game.

“The backbone of every economy is the SME sector. We want to tap their
potential to improve our local economy,” he says.

Dominguez accompanied the largest delegation of Mindanao businessmen to
Indonesia last Sept. 21.

The group included the Labrador couple, whose Cassea’s company produces
herbal-based beauty products.

But Christian Widmann, project manager of the German Technical
Cooperation, says that while the idea of SMEs being involved in the
BIMP-Eaga effort was laudable, it was equally important to bring in more
big players.

GTZ is an agency funded by the German government that provides technical
support. It started providing technical assistance to the BIMP-Eaga
concept in January 2005.

“I am not a big fan of say San Miguel, but we need to have somebody lead
the efforts,” Widmann says.

Widmann says although there have been previous talks between BIMP-Eaga
players, much still needs to be done to ensure the success of the idea.

He says one of these was for the major players to have a roadmap or common
goal and to find ways and means to achieve that goal.

“There should also be more commitment on the side of the governments
involved,” he says.

Widmann says the problem that GTZ sees now in the economic cooperation
effort was that people making the decisions were not the ones actually
implementing them.

“It should be localized,” he says.

Dominguez could not agree more.

He says if the success of the economic cooperation was to be ensured,
local government units should be more involved and committed to the
success of BIMP-Eaga.


Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20061016.G02&irec=1


Mulia city calm again after Friday's clash

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

The security situation in Mulia City, the capital of Puncak Jaya regency
in Papua, is slowly returning to normal after several people were injured
in a clash Friday between a mob who were denied government assistance and
the police.

Dozens of residents went on a rampage and burned government offices after
they did not receive promised cash aid amounting to Rp 300,000 (US$31.5)
for each person in compensation for the hike in fuel prices.

The police opened fire on the mob after they set fire to a post office and
the Puncak Jaya regency council building in Mulia city at about 1 p.m. One
man was killed and four others injured, although the local regent claimed
that the man did not die as a result of gunfire.

"The situation is already secure... people are already going about their
routine daily activities," acting Puncak Jaya regent Henock Ibo told The
Jakarta Post on Saturday.

However, a number of police officers are still stationed in strategic
areas, Ibo said, adding that the Papua Police had deployed one platoon of
elite mobile brigade personnel to help safeguard Puncak Jaya.

Ibo explained that the people were angry as they were denied the cash aid
proposed by the Puncak Jaya regental administration to the central
government.

Ibo said the central government did not approve the disbursement of cash
aid to all the people listed in the proposal from the regency
administration. "The central government may consider that those who were
dropped from the list failed to meet the 14 requirements it sets," Ibo
said.

Commenting on the one fatality, Ibo said that the death was not caused by
the police gunfire, but was alcohol related.

"The victim joined the mob marching from the post office to the local
legislative council building. He fell to the ground at the council
building due to the alcohol he had consumed and died instantly," Ibo said.

Meanwhile, two of the four injured people had been evacuated to Jayapura
for medical treatment, Ibo said. Another one was still receiving treatment
at Mulia General Hospital.

Three police officers were also injured after being hit by rocks thrown by
the mob, Ibo said.

In addition to setting fire to the local legislative council building, the
mob also set fire to a numbers of houses along the street where they
marched. Sporadic looting also took place, he said.

Ibo further said that the Papua Police assisted by the Puncak Jaya Police
were currently trying to find the mastermind behind the riot.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20061016.W01&irec=1


Nafsiah Mboi-Walinono: A determined fighter of HIV/AIDS

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

She took the job as secretary of the National AIDS Commission (KPA) in
August with a daunting challenge -- to fight the epidemic of HIV/AIDS.

As of June this year, as many as 10,859 people in Indonesia have been
identified as HIV positive and 1,507 have died of the disease.

To make things worse, an estimate revealed that the number of people with
HIV positive reached between 110,000 and 130,000 in 2002.

However, Nafsiah Mboi-Walinono is undeterred. She is optimistic that the
nation will be able to tackle and control the epidemic.

"The government has shown a strong commitment. I get support from Cabinet
ministers, foreign partners and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
Insya Allah (God willing), together we can tackle this problem," Nafsiah
told The Jakarta Post at her office.

Nafsiah is not a new figure in HIV/AIDS-related issues. She served as a
senior consultant for the commission and pioneered in 2004 the Sentani
Commitment with which the government renewed its commitment to tackling
the disease.

Born in Sengkang, South Sulawesi, on July 14, 1940, Nafsiah finished her
studies in Epidemiology in the Netherlands, Public Health in Belgium and
International Health in Boston, U.S.

Her education abroad has helped Nafsiah win trust from the international
community to chair the UN Committee on The Rights of the Child from
1997-1999. She is the first Asian to take the post.

Between 1999 and 2002, Nafsiah was director of Gender and Women's Health
at the WHO in Geneva.

Although Nafsiah is saddened that some state officers are still
ill-informed about HIV/AIDS, she appreciates the increasing awareness of
the public.

The situation today is much better, she said.

At the end of 1980s, a person suspected with HIV/AIDS might face being
berated harshly by his or her anxious neighbors. Now, a person can say
before the public that he or she is positive with HIV/AIDS.

Recently, there was a meeting in Puncak, West Java, attended by 81 people
living with AIDS from 26 provinces. They were people who had announced to
the public that they lived with HIV/AIDS.

"The press has also made some changes. It used to describe people with
AIDS as people to be isolated. Now, it underlines it is the virus that
should be kept away not the patient," she said.

Nafsiah said that many Indonesians were still not informed about HIV/AIDS
because they thought that the disease was always linked to sexual behavior
-- prostitution or adultery.

This opinion makes people unwilling to deal with HIV-infected people. Even
a minister, she said, did not want to talk about the disease, which had
become one of the main global issues in the past 18 years.

"In fact, the biggest infection is through the use of shared needles among
injecting-drug users. This is a challenge for us. We have to inform the
public quickly that this disease can be controlled," she said.

Nafsiah, the wife of former East Nusa Tenggara governor Ben Mboi,
suggested that if the nation wants to confront the epidemic it must
prevent new infection among injecting-drug users (IDUs), which according
to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) number as many as 570,000 people.

The AIDS Commission, she said, aims at limiting the rate of new infection
to 70-80 percent of drug users and 60-70 percent of people with casual sex
behavior.

"That's our top priority. If we can get that, Insya Allah we can control
the epidemic," she said, adding that epidemic in Papua is also a major
concern.

Three approaches will be taken to meet the target. They are community
empowerment through NGOs, the enforcement of the health system and
supervision of prisons.

Nearly 95 prisons need intensive supervision in a move to prevent new
infection among injecting-drug users.

Nafsiah, the grandmother of four, said that it was almost impossible for
injecting-drug users to immediately stop their habit.

That is why as part of the move to prevent new infection among drug users
the AIDS Commission provided sterile needles for them free of charge.

It is unfortunate that currently not all drug users have access to free
sterile needles.

For the time being only drug users in areas in Jakarta, West Java and East
Java can get free needles. According to Nafsiah, her office has included
the supply of sterile needles in its 2007-2010 Action Plan.

"We will provide sterile needles for Java, Bali and South Sulawesi. If
possible we will cover 80 percent of drug users," she said.

As for "moderate" drug users, Nafsiah substituted drug injection with
methadone, a synthetic narcotic that can be used orally once a day.

If the doze is enough, the "craving" can disappear.

Apart from supplying drug users with either sterile needles or methadone,
the commission also gives medical treatment for their HIV/AIDS or
hepatitis -- if they've got the diseases.

Another method to prevent infection is the use of condoms. The commission
provides condoms in brothels. The condoms are given to the operator of the
prostitution house, who then sells them to the client.

However, observation through the years show that men do not like using
condoms. Now, the commission is promoting the use of condoms among women.

While campaigning for the use of condoms, the commission sometimes faces
opposition from certain groups in society, who assume the campaign as an
approval for adultery.

Responding to such an opinion, Nafsiah simply said that today the nation
has only two options -- either enforcing religious values or promoting the
use of condoms.

She said that people could ignore someone's irreverent life. But, we
should not bar them from using condoms.

According to her, about 10 million men in Indonesia paid for sex in 2002.

"If all of them return to religious values -- and avoid casual sex -- the
problem will be settled. I will retire early," she said laughing.

There is a daunting challenge ahead. But Nafsiah said that by working hand
in hand, this nation will succeed in preventing more infections.

"There are many things that we can do with cooperation. I believe in
teamwork. We can fulfill each other's dreams," she said.

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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=27530

Radio New Zealand International

The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific

Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa

Fiji question politician over Papua comment

Posted at 01:46 on 17 October, 2006 UTC

Fiji police have questioned the leader of the Nationalist Tako Lavo Party
and former coup convict, Iliesa Duvuloco, about his demonstration calling
for a free West Papua.

Mr Duvuloco staged his demonstration during the recent Melanesian Arts
Festival in Suva where he called on participants to support freedom for
West Papua from Indonesian rule.

The Daily Post quotes Mr Duvuloco as saying that following a complaint
police wanted information in the caution interview to enable them to
decide whether to lay charges against him.

He says if he is jailed for supporting the good cause of freedom for his
West Papuan brothers and sisters, he is willing to pay that price.

Mr Duvuloco has also called on the Fiji government to play a proactive
role in helping West Papua gain its independence.

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