First made-in-Indonesia APCs handed to Army

Abdul Khalik, THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA | Sat, 02/28/2009 11:11 AM  

Local pride: Army soldiers stand by armored personnel carriers (APCs) at the factory of national arms producer PT Pindad in Bandung, West Java, on Friday. The state-owned company handed over the first batch of 20 vehicles to the Indonesian Military (TNI). JP/Abdul Khalik 

In a breakthrough that could turn the country into a military equipment maker, state arms firm PT Pindad handed over Friday the first armored personnel carriers (APCs). 

The 20 APCs, part of 154 vehicles ordered by the Defense Ministry for the Army, were handed over Friday at a ceremony at Pindad's plant in Bandung, West Java. 

Officials say the production of the APCs has boosted the morale of the national defense industry to end the country's dependence on expensive imported war machines. 

"The vehicles have been tested by our experts in different fields of battle, and are proven to satisfy our needs," Defense Ministry director for infrastructure Rear Marshal Eris Heriyanto told reporters after symbolically receiving the vehicles from Pindad president director Adik Avianto. 

"With regard to quality, they match those that we have imported." 

Under the contract, worth Rp 1.1 trillion (US$90 million), the remaining 134 vehicles will be delivered by 2010. 

State banks BRI, BNI and Mandiri have together provided the financing scheme for the production, which will be paid back by the government from the state budget. 

"We will provide Rp 200 billion in standby loans for the production of 154 APCs. We will see if we can cooperate with Pindad in future projects," BRI director Asmawi Syam said on the sidelines of the ceremony. 

Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said in his speech read by Aris that the government expected Pindad to move forward to produce other military equipment to replace the country's aging weaponry. 

The Army said it would use the APCs for the country's UN peacekeeping force, infantry and cavalry. 

The six-wheel-drive vehicle, with a maximum speed of 90 kilometers per hour and maximum range of 600 kilometers, uses 70 percent local products. Only the engine is imported from French automaker Renault, Adik said. 

"This is a first in Indonesian and Pindad history, to locally produce an APC," Adik said. 

"And except for the engine, we made all the other parts. You see, we've been trying to seek local engine producers. But for now, there are no local firms capable of supplying such an engine." 

He said Renault was committed to delivering engines for the next orders. 

The quality of the APCs have been internationally recognized, proven by an order of 14 vehicles placed by Nepal, which will use the Indonesian APCs for peacekeeping missions in Cameroon. 

"The price of each of our APCs is only Rp 7 billion, while those that we import cost $1 million," Adik said. 

"That's why our production is highly competitive." 

He added the next step after the completion of the government's order for the APCs would see the company expand its production to include making war vehicles, such as amphibious tanks for the Marines, cannons and other heavy arms. 

"We believe we have the capability to produce any military equipment as long as the government supports us," he said. 

Indonesia has been dependent on foreign suppliers for its military equipment, which many fear could endanger its sovereignty. 

The dependency was proven when the US, under then president Bill Clinton, slapped a military ban on the country for alleged human rights violations, causing much of its military equipment, among the most meager in Southeast Asia, without proper maintenance or upgrades.

Ahmadiyah refugees to take risk, return home

Panca Nugraha, THE JAKARTA POST, MATARAM | Sat, 02/28/2009 9:12 AM  

After living in uncertainty at a refugee center in West Nusa Tenggara for three years, 68 members of the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect have decided to risk returning home. 

Syahidin, coordinator for the refugees, said the 68 people from 17 families would move from the Transito building in Mataram back to their homes in Ketapang hamlet, Gegerung village, Lingsar district, West Lombok regency, on March 14. 

“We the 17 families, including mine, have decided to return to our homes in Ketapang, whatever the risk we might face, after having lived here in uncertainty for three years. We want to live like any other citizens,” Syahidin said Friday.

He added at least four people had died at the refugee center, while nine babies were born there during the same period.

At least 160 Ahmadiyah members from 33 families were driven from their homes after hard-line Muslims attacked them and destroyed their homes and belongings in early February 2006.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) previously issued an edict calling the Ahmadiyah heretical. The edict was seized upon by other hard-line Muslims to attack the sect’s followers elsewhere, including in West Java.

Based on the edict, among other factors, the government then banned Ahmadiyah followers from spreading their teachings.

The MUI said Ahmadiyah followers had deviated from mainstream Islam by believing that sect founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a prophet. 

Human rights activists have long deplored the attacks against the sect’s followers and criticized the MUI for issuing the edict that triggered the widespread violence.

Syahidin said the 17 families decided to return home because their houses were still habitable, while the remaining 16 families chose to stay because their homes were completely destroyed.

He added he hoped the police and local administration would accompany the refugees on their return.

“But if they don’t, we will still go back home. On the security front, we believe the police are responsible for security,” he said.

The Social Services Ministry previously stopped donating rice to the refugees, saying they could no longer be considered refugees because they had lived at the center for three years. The ministry said the rice stock would be prioritized for victims of natural disasters.

Jauzi Djafar, West Nusa Tenggara chairman of the Indonesia Ahmadiyah Group, said his group had sent a letter to Governor M. Zainul Majdi to inform him of the planned return.

He added copies of the letter were also sent to the President, Vice President, home minister, religious affairs minister, social services minister, National Police chief, attorney general and the National Commission on Human Rights.

“We sent the letters on Feb. 20 to high- and low-ranking officials, including in Gegerung,” he said.

He added the planned return was the Ahmadis’ own initiative since the government had seemingly forgotten their plight.

Police raid clinic for suspected abortions

The Jakarta Post, Fri, 02/27/2009 2:13 PM  

JAKARTA: Johar Baru Police on Thursday stormed a health clinic allegedly running an illegal abortion practice on Jl. Percetakan Negara in Central Jakarta. 

The police arrested eight people, including a doctor, clinic owner, employees, a middleman and patients. 

The raid was made after police received a tip-off through an SMS from a resident in the clinic's neighborhood, said Johar Baru Police chief Comr. Theresia Mastail. 

Police suspect the abortion practice has run for more than 10 years. 

Clinic owner Atun said she could earn Rp 5 million a month from abortions, with each patient charged between Rp 100,000 and Rp 600,000. - JP

West Sumatra on rabies alert

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 02/27/2009 2:36 PM  

West Sumatra province has told residents to be on the lookout for rabies, since three people died from the disease over the past two months, Antara news agency reports. 

West Sumatra health agency head Rosini Savitri on Friday said the administration had confirmed that the deaths in the Solok and Limapuluh Kota regencies had been caused by rabies. 

"All were bitten by dogs. Their lives could have been saved if they had sought medical help more quickly," Rosini said. 

The agency is now planning to intensify its rabies awareness campaign. The administration has also expressed concerned over an increase in the number of stray dogs in the area. 

In 2008, 10 rabies-related deaths among humans were recorded in West Sumatra. (dre)

KPK Raids Health Ministry Unawares

The Jakarta Globe, Nivell Rayda, February 25, 2009

The Corruption Eradication Commission on Tuesday made a surprise raid on the Health Ministry’s head office in South Jakarta as part of its probe into alleged corruption involving one of the ministry’s purchases in 2007. 

The commission, better known by its acronym KPK, suspects that the budget for providing X-ray machines to several state-run hospitals was inflated by Rp 4.8 billion ($403,200). 

A ministry official in charge of the project, Mardiono, has been declared a suspect but is yet to be detained or questioned. 

Fourteen agents were deployed to search for documents and evidence related to the case, and at least four rooms were searched, including Mardiono’s office and the document storage room, said Johan Budi, the KPK’s spokesman. 

“The search was to find additional evidence for the case,” Johan said, refusing to detail what documents the agents were looking for. 

Several ministry officials have been grilled by the commission, while Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari is expected to be questioned soon. 

The commission on Tuesday also raided the office of the X-ray provider, PT Bhineka Husada Raya, in Rawamangun, East Jakarta. Johan would not say what KPK agents had confiscated.

 The case was first reported by the country’s antigraft watchdog, the Indonesia Corruption Watch, which told the commission last year that the ministry was rife with corruption. 

The group reported that a total of Rp 128 billion ($10.88 million) had been embezzled from the ministry, the biggest spending government institution in the country, through several of its projects.

Lily Sulistyowati, the ministry’s spokeswoman, confirmed that the KPK search had taken place but could not say which rooms had been searched or what the commission was looking for. 

 “We respect what the KPK is doing, but to be honest, the case came as a surprise to us,” she said. “We conduct all our tenders in a fair manner and we are very transparent in our reports. We welcome a Supreme Audit Agency inspection of all our projects.” 

However, sources at the ministry who refused to be named told the Jakarta Globe last week that markups, sometimes up to four times market prices, inflated quantity claims, and that embezzlement in ministry projects were common at almost every level. 

The health minister told reporters that she was not aware of the details of the X-ray project. “This is a yearly project and I don’t know the amount or any other details, but I have told my inspector general to review the project,” she said. 

The X-ray provision case, Johan said, was only one of two cases the commission had agreed to investigate. The other case involved a ministry project related to the bird flu outbreak in 2005.

“It’s still under investigation and it is possible that another suspect will be named,” the KPK’s Johan said. 

The Supreme Audit Agency, or BPK, said in a report last year that it had found more than Rp 93 billion of the Health Ministry’s money stashed in undeclared deposit accounts. Several pieces of land owned by the ministry were also being used by other parties, including 18 hectares in Bogor, West Java Province, that had been turned into a golf course. 

The BPK said that Rp 521 billion of decentralization funds to local health agencies may also have been misappropriated.

Ponari sweats over poor health services

Emmy Fitri, THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA | Wed, 02/25/2009 9:02 AM  

A few months ago Ponari was just an ordinary boy from Jombang, a small town in East Java. He has since rose to stardom and is having his moment in the sun, catching media headlines with his “power” to heal any illness with the help of a magic stone, obtained after being struck by lightning. 

Tens of thousands of people from across the region have flocked in throngs to his house with their sick loved ones on a daily basis in the hope that Ponari’s water will heal them. Media reports have stated that 40,000 people gather near Ponari’s humble home to drink the magic water on a daily basis. 

Four people, who were waiting in the harsh outdoors of a dirty alley, reportedly died among the commotion of the crowd. Recently, a toddler who was suffering from meningitis died a few days after drinking water from Ponari. Whether or not his death related to Ponari’s prescription remains unknown.  

The whole mystery as to whether or not ailments can be cured by drinking the water, which Ponari has dipped the stone in, linger, as nothing has been done to ascertain the properties of the rock.  

Ponari’s sudden fame adds another interesting chapter to the history of this small town. It may not spark a nation-wide uproar, but this seemingly insignificant matter reveals a hidden, chronic problem that this country has long been suffering from and which leaders have tried to keep it under the rug. 

Spiritual healing and alternative medicines have long been part of this country’s culture. Some are just beyond belief that rationality cannot match. Despite the robustness of organized religions, Indonesian’s are still deeply attached to the animist traditions inherited from their ancestors. Java, for instance, abounds with religious rituals blended with strong animism beliefs. The concept of musyrik in Islam clearly means that any attempt to ally to anything other than God’s power is sinful. 

But on a talk back show on a private radio station a listener preached otherwise: “It is not musyrik. God works mysteriously. Ponari is clearly getting the power from God so whoever doesn’t believe Ponari, he or she simply doesn’t believe God.”     

Point taken — commanding people to ignore such practices is futile because people will always manage to link such power with their faith. 

Many have felt the windfall from the operation of Ponari Family Inc.; neighbors sell food and water and petty officials can make further revenue. It’s a newfound business opportunity for many, producing instant cash.  

But what’s the good of it all? The striking irony is that Ponari — and perhaps other shamans — uses unfiltered water to heal his patients. Believe it or not, whatever power is in the water, it is still raw, dirty water and needs to be boiled before it is safe for consumption. That’s a simple fact that even elementary school students know, but it’s been turned upside down. 

People overlook the basic knowledge of public health simply because they believe Ponari posses supreme power. 

Amid a backdrop of debilitating economic conditions and distrust of leaders, people are reeling from ongoing hardships to practices that lure them with instant medicines based on mumbo-jumbo. 

One possible reason is that leaders don’t walk the walk. No amount of good will better the lives of the people, concrete action must be taken. Basic rights and necessities that people must get in return are not fully delivered. Proper education and health services have yet to be put in place in this East Java town, like so many others.      

Public health services that are supposed to be within reach — both in terms of location and affordability —remain elusive. The infrastructure may be there but service depends on what’s in ones wallet. The popularity of Ponari and other young shamans sheds light on this fact. 

Thus, it’s either that people have lost their faith in public health services or that people simply have given up hope in the government. 

Debate continues as to how to handle Ponari. There are two opposing camps: Shut him down, or allow him to continue under some restrictions. But is he really the problem? Ponari, at such a tender age, has become a hero for many, but he has been robbed. His rights as a child have been taken away. He has been given no time to develop as a child. 

Wouldn’t it be wiser for doctors and researchers to set up a study — a real one — to dig deep into such practices and establish a clearer perspective as to why this oddness still happens and why people turn away from modern health services? Rather than appearing on television giving sound bites on this phenomenon they should offer real, lasting solutions. Taking what happened in Jombang and other places with an attitude of “it’s just one of many cases we’ve seen before” or “people will get tired of it soon” will only leave the problem to fester.   

After Ponari, there are a few other children who claim to have a supernatural ability to cure the sick have been exposed by the media. If this continues we will see our public health service deserted. Public health services, an investment in a better, healthier generation, are about to collapse and what will come if that happens?     

Hundreds Poor Families Have Not Received Their Rice Quota

Tuesday, 24 February, 2009 | 16:38 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, Kediri: The rice allocation for poor families in Kediri is insufficient. Kediri Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) chief, Arief Joko, said there are 11.049 poor families this year. The figure excludes the 644 families earning low incomes. “The number of the region’s poor – 10.375 families -- continues to increase ,” Agus said yesterday. 

The chief of the Kediri Economic Department in charge of Production, Puguh Rahayu, said the number of poor families does not equal the rice allocation for poor people as approved by the governor. Out of the 11.693 poor families, only 10.990 families have been approved to receive the rice distribution. “We must lower the rice allocation so that the distribution can be equitable.” 

HARI TRI WASONO

Symptoms likely rare disease

The Jakarta Post, DEPOK | Mon, 02/23/2009 11:45 AM  

A girl who was hospitalized a few days ago after receiving a diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) vaccine in Depok has been diagnosed as having Stephen Johnson syndrome, according to the hospital’s paediatrician. 

“The syndrome occurred after the girl was treated with some medicines to cure the side effects that come naturally after an immunization, such as fever,” Dr. Indra Sugiarno said Saturday during a press conference in Depok’s Sentra Medika hospital. 

The syndrome was not related directly to the immunization and giving medication for fever after a an immunization is normal, Dr. Indra said. 

Head of the Depok administration’s health agency explained the chronology of the case. 

The seven-year-old elementary school student had an immunization of a 0.5 cc DPT at her school on Feb. 4. The next day she felt pain in her upper arm and shoulder. On the fourth day, Feb. 7, the pain had spread to her neck as bumps began to appear on her skin. 

By Monday, Feb. 9, the girl became weak and had a fever. The next day she was given two kinds of medicine for her fever at a health clinic, but her condition continued to deteriorate as the lumps spread across her upper body. 

The lumps continued to appear and, after being prescribed five kinds of medicine by a doctor on Feb. 13, her condition continued to worsen; her lips turned dark blue. On Feb. 14, after being taken to another health clinic, she was referred to the hospital. 

“The Depok administration will cover all expenses for the care of the child, even if the conditions were not caused directly by the immunization,” he said. 

The immunization was part of a national program from the ministry of health. 

“An immunization of DPT bears no absolute contraindication,” Indra said. “It means there is no specific condition that can prevent a child from being immunized.” 

He said the little girl needed to be hospitalized because the syndrome could lead to infection, which can be fatal on open skin. The danger level of the disease greatly depends on how large the area of the open skin is. 

Stephen Johnson syndrome is caused by hypersensitivity to medicines, viruses, or infection Dr. Indra explained. The real cause of the little girl’s case is yet to be determined by the experts studying her case, he said. 

“The disease has genetical susceptibility. The case rate is one in a million people a year,” he said. 

The syndrome is mostly seen in forms of defiant reactions on skin and mucus membrane.

Dr. Hapsari, the dermatologist assigned to care for the girl said, “The condition of the girl is now getting better.” 

Prasetyo, the father of the girl, said his daughter can again eat soft food after only being able to take nutrition intravenously. 

As of Saturday morning the lumps had disappeared, but her neck, upper arm, and chest were blackened. 

Early symptoms of Stephen Johnson disease include reddening of the skin, which later turns to necrosis, causing the skin to blacken, Dr. Hapsari said. 

She said the condition of the skin might return to normal in a few weeks. “It all depends on the treatment.” The color of the skin, he said, might not return to its original shade. 

Dr. Indra stressed that for the interest of the patient the condition of the patient should be kept discreet, but the public’s right to be informed — as the case was related to the national program of immunization — led to the disclosure of the case, with the consent of the patient’s parents. (iwp)

Bali Officials Detect Second Bird Flu Flare-Up in Ten Days

The Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita, February 20, 2009

Avian influenza has struck a second district in Bali despite efforts to contain the spread of the disease on the island, the district’s animal husbandry, marine and fisheries agency said on Friday.

I Gusti Ngurah Sandjada, the head of the agency in Jembrana district in western Bali, said the outbreak was discovered after 52 chickens in the village of Banyubiru died over the course of four days.

“We immediately conducted a rapid test and found that the chickens were infected with the H5N1 virus,” Sandjada said.

Following the discovery, Sandjaja said the agency banned the transportation of poultry in and out of the village and had been culling the bird population and disinfecting cages since Thursday.

He said the agency was still concerned because a number of birds from Banyubiru had been sold to neighboring villages.

To head off further spread of the virus, the agency also conducted disinfecting drives in the nearby Gilimanuk market and chicken slaughterhouses. Dozens of chickens had died recently in the Arum Gilimanuk area.

Bird flu first emerged on the island in Jembrana district in 2007-08, causing the deaths of hundreds of chickens and infecting some local residents. One person died from the virus.

Sandjaja said the local government was concerned because the latest outbreak was the second to strike in less than 10 days. Earlier this month, a bird flu outbreak emerged in Badung district, causing 133 chickens to be destroyed. One person suffered bird-flu-like symptoms after contact with sick poultry but later recovered. The Ministry of Health only releases information about suspected cases a few times a year, and test results from that particular case have not yet been released.

Meanwhile, state-run Antara news agency reported on Friday that bird flu cases had been reported in 11 subdistricts in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java Island. Since January, 932 chickens were killed by the virus, the highest number of chicken deaths due to bird flu ever recorded in East Java Province.

Dewa Made Ngurah, the head of the animal husbandry, marine and fisheries agency in Bali’s provincial capital of Denpasar, said that many birds were smuggled from Banyuwangi to Bali despite a 2005 bylaw prohibiting the unregulated flow of poultry in and out of the province.

Indonesia remains the hardest-hit country in the world from the H5N1 virus, with 113 confirmed human deaths out of a total of 139 cases as of Jan. 19, according to the World Health Organization.

The country’s failure to rein in the disease — which is endemic among poultry in the vast majority of the nation’s 33 provinces — has prompted critics to warn that a global pandemic could originate in Indonesia.

On food and influenza

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 02/21/2009 7:04 PM 
 

  A mentor shows a group of girl scouts fried chickens in an event held by the government to disseminate information on the bird influenza to the public on Saturday. A total of 250 scouts from 15 elementary schools participated at the event. (JP/Theresia Sufa)

Related Article:

 Country Water Action: Indonesia Educating Kids for a Healthy Future

Nine women fall victim to human trafficking in West Kalimantan

Nurni Sulaiman, THE JAKARTA POST, BALIKPAPAN | Sat, 02/21/2009 3:41 PM  

At least nine women from West Java have fallen victim to a human trafficking network in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. 

The case was uncovered after one of them, identified as Siti Rahmah Binti Rahman, 32, managed to flee from their temporary shelter in downtown Pontianak. 

The seven women from Bandung were held for 11 days and were reportedly meant to be sold to an illegal migrant worker company in Malaysia. They would allegedly be employed as sex workers in the neighboring country. 

Rahmah's husband, Yusuf Supriatna, was allegedly a member of the trafficking gang. 

To the police Rahmah explained she actually had no intention of being a migrant worker in Malaysia, but her husband had forced her. Yusuf even threatened to divorce her if she refused to go along. 

"My husband threatened to divorce me if I refused his request for me to become a migrant worker in Malaysia," she said. 

Rahmah added she and her friends were not allowed out of the temporary shelter because they did not have passports yet. She was also not informed that eight others like her had allegedly been sold in Malaysia. 

She said she panicked upon finding that their friends had disappeared one morning. She added she became even more afraid after hearing Yusuf's explanation that the eight were arrested by the police at 5 a.m. 

"That's why I escaped from the house, through the window," she said. 

On Thursday, Rahmah was found at Batu Layang Bus Terminal in Pontianak by Devi Tiomana, a member of the Nanda Dian Nusantara Foundation. 

"She was confused and didn't know where to go," Devi said, adding she was certain the other eight women had been sent to Malaysia. 

West Kalimantan Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Suhadi S.W. admitted that Pontianak was one of the areas most prone to human trafficking. 

"There are at least 54 shortcuts that can be used by illegal migrant workers. The distance from Pontianak to Malaysia is only 400 kilometers, which is accessible by road. That's why there are many trafficking cases here," he said. 

The problem of social disparity along the border area means a shortage of jobs in Indonesia has forced people to seek their fortune in Malaysia. 

"We need to cooperate with all related parties to handle the trafficking cases in West Kalimantan," Suhadi said. 

Rahmah will be sent home to Bandung by the Nanda Dian Nusantara Foundation or the social services office, he added.

50% of Jakarta’s Professionals May Be Literally Sick of Work Due to Air Quality

The Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita, February 19, 2009 

Half of Jakarta’s office workers may suffer from “sick building syndrome,” or SBS, in which health problems are blamed on toxic substances inside buildings, according to the results of a study released on Wednesday. 

The study, conducted by the Association of Public Health Experts, or IAKMI, monitored.

400 people in 18 companies from July 2008 to January 2009. It found that half of all workers who spend at least eight hours a day in an office building have experienced acute discomfort, including headaches, respiratory problems, fatigue, dry cough and sore throats. 

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, SBS is a situation “in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.” 

A 1984 World Health Organization Committee report said up to 30 percent of new buildings worldwide may be the subject of air-quality complaints, the EPA says. 

“Many people do not realize that staying in a building for a certain period will expose them to sick building syndrome, which poses potentially fatal risks in the long term,” said Budi Haryanto, head of environmental health studies for IAKMI. 

Budi said SBS was caused by flawed ventilation and air-conditioning systems that produce molds and fungus. Dirty indoor air can also be aggravated by photocopy machines, laser printers and other machines, as well as dirt in carpets, curtains and furniture. 

Budi said long-term exposure to pollutants could lead to cancer and heart disease, while less severe symptoms may result in difficulty concentrating, paranoia and even depression. “It may sound harmless but over the long term it can be fatal,” Budi said. 

Budi said that the problem was aggravated in Jakarta by outdoor air pollution.

Australia thanks Indonesia for aid

The Jakarta Post | Thu, 02/19/2009 6:56 PM  

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has expressed gratitude to Indonesia for its assistance for victims of deadly bush fires in the Australian state of Victoria. 

The Indonesian aid worth US$1 million would be used to reconstruct school buildings destroyed in the bush fires, Smith said in a joint press conference with his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda, in Sydney late Thursday. 

State news agency Antara reported that Wirajuda on behalf of the Indonesian government and people meanwhile had extended deep condolences to the Australian government and people over the bush fires which claimed at least 200 lives. 

He said the Indonesian aid consisting of US$1 million in cash and a police forensic team showed Indonesia’s deep sympathy for Australia which had much assisted the former in handling victims of the 2004 deadly tsunami in Aceh, the 2005 earthquake in Nias island and the 2006 earthquake in Yogyakarta. 

"The aid of US$1 million is relatively small but at least it shows Indonesia’s solidarity for the Australian people. Of course, the Indonesian people still well keep in mind the Australian aid for victims of the Aceh tsunami, the Nias earthquake and the Yogyakarta earthquake," he said. 

The bush fires which are the worst to hit Australia since 1983 also destroyed more than 1,800 house buildings and 450,000 hectares of farm land.

School for the Disabled to be Prepared

Wednesday, 18 February, 2009 | 13:24 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, Surabaya:The government will soon build the first public school for children with special needs in Surabaya. 

“We have prepared the construction designs this year,” said Surabaya City Development Planning Board chief, Tri Risma Harini, yesterday (17/2). 

The school will be located in Kalijudan and its construction will entirely be funded by the region. 

This year, the government has allocated Rp1,5 billion from the Surabaya Regional Budget for the school construction. 

According to Tri, the school will be opened for children of all special needs. 

ANANG Z

Aid for Earthquake Victims Impeded by Waves

Monday, 16 February, 2009 | 18:17 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The chief of the Health Department's Crisis Control Center, Rustam S. Pakaya, said there was still enough aid for victims of an earthquake measuring 7,4 on the Richter scale in Talaud, North Sulawesi. "The Health Department has sent assistance since the second day, so there is no problem," Rustam told Tempo yesterday. 

According to the National Disaster Management Agency's Information Data Center and Public Relations chief, Priyadi Kardono, the victims on the islands of Karakelang, Salababu and Kabaruan have received help since last Saturday. "However, no assistance has yet reached the smaller islands due to the high waves," he said. 

Aqida Swamurti | CORNILA DESYANA

2.3 million abortions in Indonesia each year

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 02/16/2009 12:17 PM  

An average of 2.3 million women, 30 percent of whom are teenagers, report having abortions in Indonesian each year, according to a report released by an NGO on Monday. 

"Unwanted pregnancy among teenagers is increasing by a rate of between 150,000 and 200,000 cases annually, Luh Putu Ikha Widani of the We Love Teenagers (Kisara) Bali said, as quoted by kompas.com.   

She said the survey, which was conducted in nine major cities in Indonesia, found 37,000 cases of unwanted pregnancies, 27 per cent of which had occurred out of wedlock. Around 12.5 per cent of the total number of cases occurred among students. 

"If we carefully observe the phenomenon, unwanted pregnancy among teenagers is actually caused by an accumulation of factors such as poor access to proper information on reproductive health and widespread myths," she added.  

Ikha Widani argued that efforts needed to be made to provide correct information to teenagers, especially since "28.5 percent of teenagers today are sexually active." (amr)

China launches campaign to break sex taboos

By Ben Blanchard, Sun Feb 15, 2009 12:03am EST  

BEIJING (Reuters Life!) - China on Sunday launched a national sex education campaign aimed at breaking traditional taboos and getting more people to seek treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and infertility. 

Just seven percent of women and slightly more than eight percent of men seek immediate medical help for sexual problems, while more a third of people never seek help, said one of the campaign's advisors. 

"These numbers are shocking," Xia Enlan, head of the obstetrics and gynecology department of the Capital University of Sciences' Fuxing Hospital, told a news conference. 

"The numbers who get medical attention for sexual problems are extremely small," she added. "This delays treatment for some very serious diseases." 

The campaign, called "The sunshine project to care for gender health," will feature posters, competitions and sponsorship of an international sex toy fair in Beijing, organizers said, in a bid to breach "painful topics" of sex. 

It will be fronted by Hong Kong starlet Yvonne Yung and her husband Will Liu, who will be the campaign's "image ambassadors." 

"Sexual health is an important part of family life and good for helping build a harmonious society," said Cui Yandi of the China Woman and Child Development Center, one of the program's main sponsors. 

China reported a one-fifth rise in syphilis last year, with a total of 257,474 cases, according to the Health Ministry, though gonorrhea cases dropped by a tenth. 

HIV/AIDS in China is also now mainly sexually transmitted. In the past, most infections were caused by intravenous drug use. 

By the end of 2007, China had an estimated 700,000 people infected with HIV, up from an earlier estimate of 650,000, but is believed to have many unreported cases. 

While the government has rolled out a television campaign to promote condom use, a major move for a country where talking about sex is problematic for many people, Xia said traditional shyness about discussing sex remains a huge issue. 

"It's taboo. The influence of feudalistic thinking has been around for many years. People are not very open," she told Reuters. 

"People need to talk about it now that the economy has been growing so fast and we're becoming more and more open," Xia said. 

"The traditional way of thinking has not been broken," she added. "We need more publicity, and to talk about these issues in the open. That's why we need this campaign." 

(Editing by Valerie Lee)

Maids call for fair treatment, protection

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 02/15/2009 12:36 PM  

Hundreds of members of the National Advocacy Alliance for Domestic Workers (JALA PRT) staged a rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle Sunday morning. 

The participants called for legal protection and equal treatment as members of the workforce. 

"Low and unpaid wages, long working hours and domestic violence are ongoing issues that have yet to be regulated by law," JALA PRT coordinator Lita Anggraini said, as quoted by kompas.com. 

She said the government should take bolder actions to protect domestic workers especially after the extensively reported death of one maid, Sunarsih, in 2001 and the fact that abuse within housholds remains a chronic problem. 

The rally was also held in commemoration of Maid Day (Hari PRT) which falls on Feb. 15. The date, Anggraini said, was chosen in memory of Sunarsih. 

"We want the government to adopt Feb. 15 as a national day," she added. 

Anggraini said further the organization will present a draft bill on domestic workers to the House of Representatives next week. 

"This bill ... is a call for society to acknowledge, appreciate and protect maids," she said, adding the bill contained specific articles on protection, rights and responsibilities, including an appeal for instituting a maximum six-day work week. (amr)

Women far better off in Aceh: Study

The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA | Sun, 02/15/2009 9:09 AM  

 

VEILED SOLDIERS: Women soldiers line up during the 52nd anniversary of the Iskandar Muda military battalion in Banda Aceh on Monday. Under Aceh's local sharia-based ordinance, all women including soldiers, are required to wear veils in public. JP/Hotli Simanjuntak

The quality of life for women in Aceh has greatly improved since the end of a three-decade separatist conflict and the 2004 tsunami, which ravaged the Islamic province, a study revealed Saturday. 

“Women in Aceh now have better access to health and education and can become decision-makers in the family. The situation here is much better relative to other provinces,” Jean D’Cunha, director of the UN Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM) Regional Program

for Southeast Asia, told a seminar in Jakarta at the announcement of the results of a study on gender issues in Aceh. 

The study shows that Acehnese boys and girls have similar access to formal education, health services and socio-political participation unlike before the devastating disaster, thanks to the post-tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation programs.

D’Cunha said women currently make up 28 percent of candidates vying for seats in local legislatures in the April 9 general elections in Aceh.

“I am very pleased to note that, from the 1,054 legislative candidates in Aceh, more than 300 are women. This means women in Aceh have more chance [to get elected] than do women in any other province,” she said. 

The results of the study, sponsored by the UNIFEM, were published as Inong Aceh di Tanah Nusantara (Acehnese women in lands of the archipelago) and written by University of Indonesia sociologist Evelyn Suleeman.

“This book contains a lot of information about women in Aceh and it needs implementation,” Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of the Agency for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation (BRR) for Aceh and Nias, told the same forum.

The study also details cases of discrimination and abuse against Acehnese women.

“We found some surprising data. For instance, Acehnese families prefer to enroll their boys at public schools and their girls at Islamic schools or Islamic boarding schools,” Evelyn told The Jakarta Post after the seminar.

Although families assumed it was better for their daughters to attend Islamic schools, Evelyn said, problems often emerged after their girls graduated.

“Many girls failed to get jobs because companies or offices prefer to have employees who graduated from state schools,” she told the Post.

Other problems confronting Acehnese women include the fact that many consider domestic violence to be a “normal” practice.

“This is really unacceptable, but it is the reality I found doing the research,” Evelyn who researched the study over two months said.

Raihan Putry, head of the women’s empowerment and child protection agency in  the Aceh administration, said Acehnese women also faced problems with the patriarchic culture, as do women in other locales across Indonesia.

“UNIFEM has funded Aceh’s programs to promote gender equality throughout Aceh regencies,” she said. 

Concepts of equality and access are not so controversial but other words common elsewhere in the country provoke contention here. Some people in the province, especially Muslim clerics, oppose the use of the word “gender” to cite one example.

“We have to change the term “gender” and use another term to avoid conflicts among clerics,” Raihan said.

Raihan said further Islamic law, sharia,  could turn into a problem if it was implemented “improperly”. 

“There is nothing wrong with the sharia laws. The problem is people still have different perceptions on this matter,” Raihan said, adding that her agency is trying to resolve the problems. (naf)

Related Articles:

Equality in Muslim family law on the table

Saudi King appoints first woman to council

Drug firm in developing world vow

BBC  

The new chief executive of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline had said the company will cut prices for its drugs in the developing world.

Andrew Witty said GSK would cut the cost of drugs in the 50 poorest nations to 25% of price in the UK and US.

The cost of drugs will be cut in 50 countries

He also said the firm would share knowledge of patents and reinvest profits in local clinics.

Charities have long campaigned for such a policy as patents prevent cheaper generic versions of drugs.

'Landmark announcement'

Mr Witty told the Guardian newspaper drugs companies had a duty to help the poor.     

He said: "We work like crazy to come up with the next great medicine, knowing that it's likely to get used an awful lot in developed countries, but we could do something for developing countries.

"Are we working as hard on that? I want to be able to say yes we are, and that's what this is all about - trying to make sure we are even-handed in terms of our efforts to find solutions not just for developed but for developing countries."

Formulas and processes owned by GSK under patent will be shared with researchers and 20% of the firm's profits in the developing world will be reinvested in hospitals and clinics there.

Health campaigners have said more needed to be done but they welcomed the initiative.

Oxfam said an affordable HIV treatment, for instance, could stop 6,000 people dying every day in countries affected by the HIV/Aids epidemic.

Charity World Vision's director of advocacy Mike French said: "Slashing drug prices is good. But without the necessary health infrastructure many won't be able to access those drugs. Therefore, investment by GSK, along with the knowledge pooling, make this a landmark announcement.

"This is a gutsy move in a commercial world. Witty has demonstrated a willingness to make saving lives a business goal along with making money."

City, Australia team up to combat HIV/AIDS

The Jakarta Post, Fri, 02/13/2009 3:58 PM   

JAKARTA: Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo and Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer signed Thursday a memorandum of understanding for joint efforts to expand services for those at high risk of being infected with HIV. 

The services will be provided at 30 health centers across the capital. 

"As we improve our program to reach out to those living with HIV/AIDS, we found the figure soared this year," Fauzi said at City Hall. 

The administration revealed the number of people living with HIV/AIDS rose to 4,467 as of January this year, up from 700 cases in 2000. -JP

S. Jakarta to bring doctors to community units

The Jakarta post, Sat, 02/14/2009 2:44 PM  

JAKARTA: To curb the spread of dengue fever during and after the wet season, the South Jakarta municipal administration will implement a program called "Doctor with Family Welfare Unit (PKK) goes to Community Unit (RW)". 

The program was scheduled to commence Feb. 6, but was postponed because the health agency was not ready yet. 

"We're still preparing it. We will start this month," South Jakarta Mayor Syahrul Effendi told beritajakarta.com on Friday. -JP

Rat threat looms as flooding recedes

Prodita Sabarini, THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA | Sat, 02/14/2009 2:05 PM 
 

 Underground Jakartans: An officer observes rats caught during a mass raid in Kampung Bali, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, in this file photo. JP/P.J. Leo
 

The sight of them is deemed repugnant, and they can make a grown person wince or turn hysterical. But, no one in this metropolitan capital of Indonesia can escape living side by side with these rodents. Rats! 

Either one notices or one does not; black rats are a part of daily life in Jakarta. 

The lucky ones see only glimpses of rats running the city’s open gutters or crossing the streets, or the occasional flattened corpse in the middle of the road. The less fortunate have to deal with rats scourging for leftover food in their kitchens at night. 

Wild and humongous, even a spoiled house cat can be intimidated by black rats.

With the rainy season, the rodents are becoming more than an unpleasant sight.

The Jakarta Health Agency has warned residents to brace for a number of water-borne diseases, including those spread by water contaminated by rats’ urine. 

Already, two Jakartans have contracted Leptospirosis. They are currently being treated at Tarakan Hospital. 

With the high population of rats in the city combined with the wet season and the city’s bad sewerage system leaving parts of the city flooded after heavy rains, residents are at risk of the deadly disease. 

The bacteria can stay alive in water for up to a month and can easily enter the body through open wounds, eyes, nose and skin. 

The incubation period in humans ranges between four to 19 days, with symptoms including fever, headache, fatigue, vomiting, sore eyes, leg pain and back pain. 

The bacteria can trigger sudden death if it enters the heart. It can also attack the liver, turning a patients’ skin yellow, and lungs, causing a patient to cough up blood and experience chest pains. 

Head of the health agency Tini Suryanti said residents should visit the local health center if they experience the symptoms. 

“Residents should also avoid walking barefoot in puddles of water,” she said.   

In 2002, during one of the largest floods in Jakarta, 113 patients were infected with leptospira germs according to the agency’s data. Twenty of the patients died. 

Tini said there were 184 cases in 2007 and 41 in 2008. 

Tini said her office did not have a rat population control agenda. 

“Who is actually responsible for that?” she asked. 

During the big flood of 2002, a joint team from the Jakarta Health Agency and the Health Ministry implemented a rat population control program. 

Tini said that in 2002, the city experienced a big break out of Leptospirosis due to the flooding, while this year the threat was not as big. 

Mammal expert Ken Aplin from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) said in an email that to protect a city from diseases carried by rats, the only possible measures were to reduce rat populations, to protect drinking water sources from contamination and to tell people to avoid walking barefoot in water, especially in still pools in areas where many rats live. 

He said population control should be a preventive measure rather than a responsive measure because rats breed quickly. 

A female rat gives birth after a three-week pregnancy, and can fall pregnant again one day after birth. Weaning only takes three weeks as well, so the next litter can be born straight after weaning, although a longer gap in birth of litters is more usual. 

A new generation of rats is able to start breeding at around four months of age, Aplin said.

Aplin studied the DNA of black rats and found six different lineages, each one coming from different areas in Asia. 

The study raises the possibility that the different lineages of black rats carry a different set of diseases. 

“Two of the black rat lineages are known from Jakarta, one might be native to Java and other parts of western Indonesia. The other probably came from Thailand or southern China hundreds or even thousands of years ago,” he said. 

Both probably carry leptospirosis, but we do not know which carry particular types of leptospire.”

From his study, the six lineages appeared in India, Taiwan, the Himalayas, Thailand, the Mekong Delta and Indonesia. 

The Indian black rats spread to the Middle East around 20,000 years ago, and from this area they spread to Europe. 

Human voyages during recent centuries transported this rat to Africa, the Americas and Australia. The Taiwanese breed moved to Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia, reaching Micronesia 3,500 years ago. The other 4 lineages are not so widespread. 

He said trapping and poisoning were not effective methods at controlling rat populations because of rapid breeding and the fact that black rats were wary and difficult to kill using these methods. 

“Rat populations can be limited by denying them access to food – by keeping areas clean of spilled grain, waste food etc. – and access to shelter.”