Quarantining HIV Positive People In Indonesia?

October 02-2007:

EMBEDED-Quarantining Of HIV Positive People In The Indonesia?

The following article was taken from POZ magazine dated October-2007:

Title: Embedded:

Big Brother gets under your skin.

This past July, lawmakers in Indonesia Papua province proposed a bill allowing the government to use microchip implants to track people with HIV. A Department of Health computer would then monitor their every action and location, presumably to log their sexual activity and preempt transmission.

The idea follows a report co-sponsored by the US government, which found that the province, the most isolated and poorest in the nation, has an infection rate of 2.4 %, almost fifteen times the national average.

John Manansang, a member of parliament who spearheaded the proposal said, "some of the infected people experience a change of behavior, and can turn more aggressive, and would not think twice of infecting others.

The use of microchip implants is one way to monitor them. Microchipping and other tracking measures have long been proposed in many nations, including the US. "We are not animals who need to be tagged," Robert Sihombing , founder and co-ordinator of the Papuan HIV/AIDS support group, Jayapura Support Group (JSG), told POZ.

To become law, the bill must be approved by Papuan government officials, and face a public consultation.
Juliana Shulman.
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A CALL TO ARMS-PETITION THE US ADMINISTRATION & INDONESIAN GOVT. NOW!

This kind of quarantining was proposed by several officials in the Ronald Reagan administration, and the religious right, when HIV was discovered within the homosexual community in the 1980's. And strong advocacy, petitioning, and outrage was leveled against this climate of fear, ignorance, and bigotry.

Thus far, these 'Holier Than Thou' elements were defeated at the get go, on this ridiculous attitude. Today however, HIV is no longer perceived as a Gay or Homosexual disease.

But a disease that has permeated all communities, and all genders within the USA and globally. Some countries ignored it until their population was ravaged to the core, like South Africa, New Guinea, the Congo, Uganda, and other African nations today.

I am appalled to learn that the US administration has had a hand in this proposal. And feel that it would be INHUMANE, HYPOCRITICAL, and UN-CIVILIZED, if this kind of HIV tracking is ever enacted by law in Indonesia. I can also see why this group was singled out for this kind of action.

They are the least informed about HIV, the least knowledgeable about their rights, the least able to advocate against this mentality, in a political system that is AUTOCRATIC, bigoted, and view some segments of their populations as disposable.

I strongly advocate that efforts be made diplomatically, and via the International Community on Human Rights, to fight this proposal, and ostracize Indonesia if this bill ever becomes law there.

Derryck S. Griffith.
Educator-Advocate & Blogger.