Ban Ki-moon: we must end Aids by 2020

UN secretary general tells world presidents, ministers and diplomats to unite 'as never before' to eradicate disease

 

guardian.co.uk, Associated Press,  Thursday 9 June 2011

Ban Ki-moon has called for "zero new infections, zero stigma
 and zero Aids-related deaths". Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has called for global action to put an end to Aids by 2020 and relegate the disease to the history books.

Opening a three-day general assembly meeting in New York to assess progress in combating HIV/Aids, the UN chief told presidents, ministers and diplomats from across the globe that if all partners involved in the fight unite "as never before" the goal can be met.

"Today, we gather to end Aids," the secretary general said. "That is our goal: zero new infections, zero stigma and zero Aids-related deaths."

Ban recalled that world leaders first took responsibility for controlling the epidemic at a UN meeting in 2001, and since then new infections have declined by 20%. Five years ago, leaders pledged that every individual would get services, care and support to cope with HIV and Aids and since then Aids-related deaths have fallen by 20%, he said.

Michel Sidibe, executive director of the UN Aids agency, told leaders that the vision of an Aids-free world can be realised.

However, he said it will require revolutionising HIV prevention and the mobilisation of young people "as agents of change" in reducing treatment costs. It will also require ending discrimination and providing lifesaving services to the groups most affected migrants, prisoners, people who inject drugs, sex workers, and men who have sex with men, he said.

Sidibe said 1.8 million people die of Aids-related causes every year in the developing world, and in developed countries Aids is becoming a chronic disease. He said 9 million people in the world await treatment.

Sidibe urged donors, who have reduced funding for Aids for the first time in 10 years, to increase their contributions to meet the new goal.

"We cannot stop our investment now," he said. "With an effective upfront investment we can make the down payment to alter the costs trajectory and end this epidemic".

The UN Aids chief said getting to zero will require new innovations to provide inexpensive diagnostic methods and medication available for everyone, everywhere in five years.

With sustained investment in research and development, he said, "we will have a microbicide that women can use to protect themselves from HIV and we will have a vaccine that will eradicate this virus".

According to research by UN Aids, an additional $6bn (£3.64bn) will be needed every year by 2015 to help avert 12m new infections and more than seven million deaths by 2020.

Sharonann Lynch of Médecins sans Frontières said: "The world needs an ambitious treatment target with a plan attached to make it a reality because it will be meaningless if countries aren't willing to come up with the cash and actions needed to break the back of the epidemic."

Nigeria's president, Goodluck Jonathan, said his country has been fighting the spread of HIV/Aids in part by working with the local film industry to promote behavioural change and awareness among the young. He has put forward a bill in parliament that seeks to fight discrimination against infected people, he said.

Still, Jonathan said, getting necessary anti-retroviral medication to the 1.5 million Nigerians who need it remains a challenge, as does promoting prevention of the HIV virus's transmission from mothers to children.

"To say that adequate funding is critical to the success of our HIV and Aids response is an understatement," Jonathan said. "We cannot win the fight against the HIV/Aids scourge without international solidarity."

The prime minister, Denzil Douglas of St Kitts and Nevis, spoke on behalf of the Caribbean community that remains the region second only to sub-Saharan Africa with the highest HIV prevalence rate. He cited a 14% decline in new HIV infections and a 43% decline in Aids-related deaths over the past decade.

He warned that without long-term and sustainable financing, "reversal of the marginal gains over the past 10 years is inevitable".

Drug firms cut vaccine prices to the developing world

BBC News, 6 June 2011

Several major drugs companies have announced big cuts to the amounts they charge for their vaccines in the developing world.

The vaccines will be sold at a price that covers
the drugmakers' costs

GSK, Merck, Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi-Aventis have agreed to cut prices through the international vaccine alliance Gavi.

GSK said it would cut the price of its vaccine for rotavirus by 67% to $2.50 (£1.50) a dose in poor countries.

Rotavirus-related diarrhoea kills more than 500,000 children a year.

The vaccine will be subsidised by higher prices being charged in richer countries.

The rotavirus vaccine, for example, would cost about $50 in the US.

"What we need is a return to invest in the next generation of new vaccines and drugs and that has to come from the profits of the medicines or the vaccines," Andrew Witty, chief executive of GSK told the BBC.

"But it's obvious that if you're in Kenya or a slum in Malawi or somewhere like that there is no capacity for those people to contribute to it, so they have to be helped out by the contribution from the middle and the richer (countries)."

Gavi is an organisation that helps to fund mass vaccination programmes in developing countries.

It is committed to funding the introduction of rotavirus vaccinations in 40% of the poorest countries by 2015, but it faced a $3.7bn funding shortfall and so has been appealing for price cuts and donations.

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West Sumatra Woman Taken to Jakarta for Rare 'Bleeding' Disease

Jakarta Globe, June 05, 2011

Dora Indrayanti Trimurni's head will bleed if she “thinks too hard.”

Dora, 25, a university student from Padang, West Sumatra
receives treatment for her rare disease. (Source: Metro TV)

The rare blood disease plaguing the Bung Hatta University law student also causes her mouth, nose and ears to bleed, in addition to, the pores on her head.

The 25-year-old, Padang native is currently being treated at the city's M. Djamil Hospital, but will soon be transferred to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta due to the hospital's limited resources, according to Gustafianof, M. Djamil Hospital spokesman.

“We have the experts, but we don't have the adequate medical equipment to give her the treatment she needs,” Gustafianof told Detik.com. “We are trying our best to fly her to Jakarta on Wednesday at the latest.”

Dora's story has attracted widespread attention not only because of her disease but also because of the hardship she has endured.

She has been the breadwinner and chief caretaker of her family ever since her mother passed away and her father remarried and walked out six years ago.

The oldest of three, she works as a motorbike (ojek) driver to earn money to pay for law school, as well as, to care for her two younger siblings. She has also previously worked as a security guard and a cleaner. She said one time she even cut her hair to look like a man in order to get a job as a construction worker.

Gustafianof said the hospital is collecting a donation to help Dora pay her hospital bills.

“We have contacted a number of charities and they have agreed to help her,” he said. “We are also filing requests to have the State Health Insurance (Jamkesmas) assist Dora.”

Various institutions, including her university, and the mayor of Padang, Fauzi Bahar, have donated money thus far.

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Sino-German research finds new E. Coli bacteria resistant to 8 classes of antibiotics

English.news.cn 2011-06-04

SHENZHEN, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists who have fully sequenced the genome of the new E. Coli spreading through Europe said Saturday they found genes in the bacteria that gave it resistance to eight classes of antibiotics.

Researchers with the Beijing Genomics Institute, the world's largest DNA sequencing center, have found genes in the newly identified 0104 strain of E. Coli bacteria that made it resistant to major classes of antibiotics including sulfonamide, cephalothin, penicillin and streptomycin.

This helped explain why doctors in Europe had difficulties in fighting the bug that has killed 18 people and sickened nearly 2,000, BGI's major research arm in Shenzhen said on its website Saturday.

This would help doctors choose right medicines for the treatment, it said.

The researchers are developing a diagnostic kit which will be used to detect the bacteria and prevent the epidemic from spreading further.

The Chinese researchers obtained DNA samples of the bacteria from collaborating scientists in Germany and fully sequenced its genome in three days this week.

They announced on Thursday the E. Coli spreading through Europe was "a new strain of bacteria that is highly infectious and toxic".

The 0104 strain of E. Coli was not previously involved in any E. Coli outbreaks. However, it has 93 percent sequence similarity with the EAEC 55989 E. Coli strain which was isolated in the Central African Republic and known to cause seriously diarrhea, BGI said.

The source of the outbreak is unknown, but scientists say it is highly likely to have originated in contaminated vegetables or salad in Germany.

Editor: Fang Yang

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Chinese Vice Premier calls for efforts to develop grassroots-level medical services

English.news.cn   2011-05-31

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday called for efforts to develop medical services in rural areas and expand health insurance coverage.

Efforts should be made to reform county-level hospitals and ensure that low-income patients benefit from the country's health care reforms, Li told health officials at a meeting on health care reform, over which he presided.

In an effort to make the country's medical service "equitable" and "convenient," Li urged health authorities to train more doctors, expand the coverage of the country's essential medicine system and ensure that outpatient services are accessible in villages.

Public hospitals are encouraged to separate medical treatment services and medicine sales, while nongovernmental sectors are encouraged to run their own hospitals, according to Li.

As of March this year, 1.27 billion Chinese, or about 90 percent of the total population, are covered by some sort of medical insurance, according to figures released by the health reform office under the State Council, China's cabinet. ' Meanwhile, 82 percent of government-funded grassroots health clinics, including urban community health centers and rural clinics, are covered by the country's essential medicine system.

In April 2009, China kicked off health reforms aimed at correcting long-standing problems facing China's health system and easing public grievances.

The essential medicine system and the reform of publicly funded hospitals are the two main pillars of China's health reforms.

The essential medicine system requires doctors to prescribe only essential medicines and to sell those medicines at wholesale prices, rather than with the previous 15 percent mark-up.

Editor: yan

Malaysian drug smuggler nabbed at airport

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang | Tue, 05/31/2011

Officials say they arrested a Malaysian woman for allegedly smuggling Rp 1.1 billion (US$129,000) of heroin through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta.

Airport customs deputy chief Mama Sulaiman said the suspect, Febi, 26, arrived in Jakarta on Saturday night from Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia flight AK-388 with almost a half kilogram of heroin.

“Customs Tactical Unit team members in charge at Terminal 2 became suspicious of the suspect, who looked nervous when passing the checkpoint. So they decided to examine her,” he said.

An inspection turned up 51 capsules containing a brown powder in the suspect’s luggage and pants pockets.

“Test results confirmed that the brown powder in the capsules was heroin,” he said.

China shuts battery factories due to lead poisoning

BBC News, 30 May 2011

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Battery factories across China have been closed amid fears about poisoning from metals used by the industry.

About 74 people have been detained this year after reports that more than 100 people were affected by lead and cadmium poisoning.

Reports from China suggests hundreds of factories have been closed as a result of efforts to tackle poisoning.

The rechargeable lead batteries are used in scooters, cars and some mobile phones.

The detentions and closures are part of moves by regional governments in China to decrease environmental damage and improve working conditions.

Increased demand for electric scooters alongside higher car production has driven up the demand for lead batteries.

In Zhejiang's Deqing county 53 people were hospitalised following tests earlier in the year which found high levels of lead in the blood of 332 residents.

Several major battery manufacturers with shares traded in China have issued notices saying production is suspended.

"We are already seeing an economic process where the Chinese are moving up the value chain and away from low cost production which has quite serious environmental impact," said Roderic Wye, an associate fellow at Chatham House.

But environmental concerns were not the only factor driving China to moderate its policies. "It is because wages are going up and the costs of inputs are going up," he added.

A statement on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection warned that companies must meet environmental standards.

"These situations are completely avoidable," it added.

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The Alzheimer Experience

RNW, 30 May 2011, by Eric Beauchemin

(Screenshot: NOS)

A series of videos has been put online in The Netherlands to try to increase people's awareness about Alzheimer's. What makes the Alzheimer Experience unique is that you can see the 10 scenes from the point of view of the patient, family members and caregivers.

The producers of the Alzheimer Experience hope the videos will help reduce the gap between the 275,000 people in the Netherlands who suffer from Alzheimer's and the rest of society.

3 Malaysians arrested at airport carrying 9 kg crystal meth

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang | Wed, 05/25/2011

Busted: Customs and excise officers at the Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport hold a press briefing following the arrest of several suspected drug
smugglers on Wednesday. The office recently foiled three attempts to
smuggle crystal methamphetamine into Indonesia, confiscating a total
of 9 kilograms of the drug. (JP/Multa Fidrus)

Customs officers have reportedly foiled three attempts to smuggle drugs into Indonesia at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, confiscating a total of 9 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated Rp 15 billion.

“Officers also arrested three Malaysian-Chinese citizens as suspects in the smuggling attempts on Tuesday,” airport customs chief Iyan Rubianto said Wednesday.

Iyan said two of the suspects, identified as KLS, 20, and PSH, 28, had flown from Kuala Lumpur onboard AirAsia flight AK-388, while another suspect, STH, 40, arrived at the airport onboard AirAsia flight QZ-7695 the same day.

Following a profile analysis, the Tactical Unit Team at terminal II had suspected the three were carrying drugs.

“Officers decided to search their luggage and found 3 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine wrapped in food containers,” he said.

In a development of the case involving officers of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), customs officers also arrested two more Malaysian-Chinese citizens identified as LCG, 32, and WSP, 49, at a location not far from the airport.

“Based on the modus they used in the smuggling attempts, we believe LCG and WSP were the owners of the drugs,” he said, adding that LCG and WSP had given the drug to KLS and PSH in Kuala Lumpur before flying to Jakarta.

STH, who allegedly worked at palm plantation in Malaysia, said he was asked to carry the drug to Jakarta from Kuala Lumpur by another Malaysian man identified as A, and was promised MRY1,000.

KLS and PSH, who also worked at palm plantation said that they had been offered vacation in Jakarta by old friends LCG and KSL through a telephone conversation, and were given MRY700 each.

Drug busts have seen a steady increase at Jakarta’s main airport this year.

Since January, officers have foiled 26 smuggling attempts and seized a total of 64,272 grams of drugs, worth an estimated Rp 71.7 billion, comprising 36,028 grams crystal methamphetamine, 28,194 grams of ketamine and 10,140 ecstasy pills.

Officers have also arrested 10 Iranians, four Indonesians, four Malaysians, two Nigerians, two Taiwanese, one French man, a Filipino, a Kenyan, a Portuguese and an Italian as suspects in these cases.

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Doctors agree: more Indonesians are constipated

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 05/25/2011

Unhealthy lifestyle changes are making more Indonesians constipated – and leading more gastrointestinal problems for young people, according to physicians at a conference.

“Recently, the younger generation [including] people in their 20s and 30s already show signs of constipation,” Dr. Herry Djagat Purnomo told listeners at a dialog on constipation on Wednesday in Jakarta.

“Constipation used to only affect those in their 40s or older, since people's digestive systems deteriorate as they grow older,” Herry, who heads the Indonesian Gasteroenterologists Association, added.

According to Health Ministry data, more than 75 percent of Indonesians surveyed regularly ate food containing additives and 93.6 percent said they currently ate fewer vegetables and fruits than they did five years ago.

"People who consume limited amount of vegetables have a higher risk of constipation," Herry said.

The combination of constipation and limited physical exercise increased a person’s risk of more serious medical conditions, such as heat attacks or colon cancer, he added.

Dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, a gastroenterologist at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Jakarta said that 8 percent of colon cancer patients were first stricken by constipation .
"Constipation is not a simple and harmless disease," Ari said.

Women, especially younger women working in cities who lacked time for exercise, were at greater risk for constipation, he said. (lfr)

Parenting the Stone Age Way

Jakarta Globe, Nur Dianah Suhaimi - Straits Times Indonesia, May 22, 2011

Imagine what parenting must have been like during the dawn of civilization.

Women gave birth in their caves, surrounded by family members instead of nurses and doctors.

Their babies drank breast milk. There was no such thing as formula milk then. Nor were there milk bottles or pacifiers.

Mothers put their babies to sleep beside them. They didn't have prettily decorated nurseries.

During the day, mothers strapped their babies to their chest likely with a piece of pelt and held them close as they went about milking the goats or cooking dinner.

They cared for their babies without parenting manuals to tell them what to do. They followed their instincts, tried their best to read their baby's cues and respond to them accordingly.

Since Day 1, human beings have been programmed to care for their babies in this manner. That is until some time 100 years ago.

Something strange happened then, especially in the West.

Children who were breastfed for more than two years were deemed needy. Mothers who brought their babes into the family bed were chastised for spoiling them. Babies were expected to spend hours in baby cots and strollers instead of in their mother's arms.

I believe that was a tragic time for human babies, when parents abandoned their instincts and succumbed instead to unreasonable societal expectations.

Until today, many parents try to program their babies to function in a certain way: drink milk once every four hours, sleep alone in a baby cot and self-soothe.

It is done because such a regimen is convenient for the parents. But each baby has its own rhythm and cycle.

Diann Bustamante, director of Parentlink, which conducts natural childbirth classes and provides other related services, observed: 'Some parents are devastated when their babies do not fit into a prescribed cycle. They think there is something wrong with the baby.'

But for some years now, parents are discovering the wisdom of stone-age parenting.

Some call this trend natural parenting while others call it attachment parenting. But it is usually one and the same.

It basically recognizes that human beings are meant to rear their young in pretty much the same way as child-carrying animals such as kangaroos, koalas and most monkey species.

The young of these animals stay close to their mothers because they need continuous feeding and attention.

They cry to remind their mothers when they need to be fed, to be carried or to be cuddled to sleep. Even when they are bigger, they stay close to their mothers for some time before becoming truly independent.

I first learned about natural parenting when I was pregnant, and to me, it sounded just like the right thing to do.

When my baby was born, everything just fell into place. She was a high-needs baby and wanted to nurse all the time. So I kept her close to me in a sling during the day. At night, she slept beside me on my bed. When she cried, I held her close.

Some people find it strange that I sleep with my baby and carry her all the time. They say I am spoiling my baby.

But after you've had a baby inside you for nine months, it doesn't seem right to put her anywhere else but in your arms.

Of course, there is a lot more to natural parenting than breastfeeding, co-sleeping and babywearing.

Some parents, recognizing that disposable nappies contain chemicals, choose the gentler option of cloth nappies for their children.

Others prefer their babies to go nappy-less. Instead, they read their babies' cues and take them to the potty instead.

Some parents prefer to eat organic food only and spend as much time in the great outdoors as possible. Then there are those who go on to homeschool their children because they feel it is a natural progression.

But natural parenting is not a prescribed package, explained Rita Kusumadi, the owner of local cloth nappy boutique Bumwear.

'While parents who use cloth nappies tend to be the ones who also practice extended breastfeeding and babywearing, you don't have to do everything. You can pick and choose to suit your lifestyle and needs,' she said.

Two weeks ago, I mentioned in a column here that I was teaching my six-month-old how to signal when she needs the potty. For the next week or so after it was published, I was inundated by e-mail messages from excited mothers who asked me about this method of toilet training.

I explained that this practice, called Elimination Communication, is not about toilet training the baby. It is about training us, the adults, to read the baby's signals to use the potty and responding to them.

To me, that is how parenting should be, and not just when my baby needs the potty. It's about meeting your baby's needs and responding to them in the best way possible.

A baby, who knows that she is loved and her needs are met and responded to, will naturally be an easier child to handle.

Here in Singapore, I must admit that practicing natural parenting has its challenges.

I find there to be a lot of societal pressure to have the baby kept away from its parents, especially by the older generation.

When I carry my child often, I am told I am spoiling her. When I breastfeed her, I am told to wean her off soon or if not she will demand to be breastfed until age 12. When I co-sleep, I am told my baby will grow up needy and dependent. When I teach my baby sign language, I am told I will impede her speech development.

After a while, I got tired of explaining why I do things the way I do. Plus, I realized that explaining the concept of natural parenting often made me sound like a wannabe hippie.

So my answer to pragmatic Singaporeans is: I breastfeed because formula milk is expensive. I put my baby to sleep beside me because I am too lazy to walk out of bed at night to feed her. I put her on the potty from such a young age because my baby develops rashes when she wears disposable nappies. And I teach her sign language because it's fun.

I wish I could tell them I simply parent by my instincts, the way animals care for their young and the way humans cared for their young when there were no parenting manuals, strollers or milk bottles. 

Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055

Turning herbs into cash

Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Wonogiri, Central Java | Sun, 05/22/2011

Workers are busy making herbal products at PT Deltomed company in Wonogiri,
Central Java. The company, which has been producing herbal products for 35 years,
works with farmers to provide raw materials for the products. JP/Indah Setiawati

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Some cashew trees grew in Karto Satiman’s garden. But none of them produced ripe fruit.

“We did not have crops the past two years because of the weather. The heavy rain damaged the flowers of the cashew trees,” the 72-year-old resident of Rejosari village, Jatisrono district, in Central Java’s Wonogiri regency told The Jakarta Post.

He explained in a flat tone. No trace of sadness or bitterness in his voice. The old man did not even look very disappointed with the fact he had lost potential income from cashew nuts, which had become a high value commodity in his district.

His eyes turned bright when he talked about turmeric – a new favorite among local farmers – that would be ready in August. “Turmeric can survive in bad weather. It grows well during the rainy days,” he said.

Modern equipment is used in the
production of herbal commodities.

Karto, a spokesperson for the Sari Bumi farmers group, said farmers in Jatisrono were not too dependent on cashew nuts anymore thanks to turmeric, a commodity introduced in 2005.

During the past six years, the Sari Bumi farmers group has cooperated with PT Deltomed. They supply tons of turmeric to the Wonogiri-based company that has been producing herbal products for 35 years.

Previously, the farmers in the district had not realized that turmeric would grow well on their land. Planting rhizome plants such as turmeric, ginger and temulawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza) were a tradition in the village. The villagers used to plant in small quantities for family consumption. Sometimes they sold the remainder at the market for additional income.

Karto said people in the village consumed turmeric for cooking and to reduce body odor. The herb was also good for breastfeeding mothers and women who just gave birth, he said.

“We used to plant rhizomes without treatments like preparing the land for cultivation and adding fertilizer because we thought they grew anyway,” he said.

Sari Bumi head Hardianto said farmers were enthusiastic when Deltomed officials offered cooperation after discovering their land was perfect for turmeric.

He said the development of turmeric farming was a good decision because the rhizomes could grow well on unused space under the shade of the many cashew trees in the village.

Turmeric is a new favorite among
farmers it survives bad weather
and grows well during rainy days.

The farmers received training about how to cultivate the soil in their yards to plant turmeric. They also make organic fertilizer from a mixture of teak leaves and goat and cow manure.

“The production cost is too small to mention because the seeds are accessible as we have planted it for generations and fertilizer material is available all around us,” Hardianto said.

With good treatment and nutrients from fertilizer, turmeric grows like crazy in the area and is of high quality. Farmers will dry the wet turmeric for three days until the water volume reaches 10 percent before selling it to Deltomed or other buyers.

“We try to maintain the quality by applying the right drying method. We dry the sliced turmeric without turning it upside-down to maintain the good color,” Karto said.

The 80 farmers in the village can normally produce 49 tons of wet turmeric a year. After drying, that is seven tons of dry turmeric.

PT Deltomed purchased each kilogram of dry turmeric for Rp 14,000 (US$1.64) last year. Karto said the company would purchase any quantity of the crop. It also let farmers sell the turmeric to other buyers if offered a higher price.

Larto, another farmer, said he initially planted turmeric because he had joined the farmers group, which required members to plant the same plants.

“I am happy now with the decision because the crop can give me additional income,” he said.

The farmers in the group were eager to plant other kinds of herbs in order to generate additional income. Hardianto said they are trying to plant small quantities of some types of ginger as requested by a Japanese company.

He said the village could produce good quality elephant ginger, but they could not sell it to Deltomed because the company only bought red ginger that contained high essential oils and were spicier.

“We tried to plant red ginger but failed because it requires colder temperatures,” Hardianto said, adding that the plant grew better in Kismantoro district in the eastern part of the regency.

Herb farming in the country faces good prospects, but its development remains slow compared to other developing countries.

The Forestry Ministry recorded that in 2005, the European Union imported over 358,000 tons of herbs and spices from developing countries.

It noted that around 60 percent of those imports came from other countries such as China, India, Morocco and Turkey, not Indonesia.

On the other hand, ministry data says that the country is home to 75 percent of the plants in the world. Of that, 940 are types of herbs that grow in Indonesia, or 90 percent of the herbs that grow in Asia.

The ministry reported that farmers only develop 20 to 22 percent of the hundreds of herbs in the country, with the remaining 78 percent taken from the forest.

Jatisrono may be taking baby steps with its turmeric farming, but those steps do count for herb development in the country.

Once its herbal industry develops, the district will make organic herbs its main product along with its delicious cashew nuts.

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Minister to fire rouge penitentiary officers

Antara News, Sun, May 22 2011

Mamuju, West Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Justice minister Patrialis Akbar has vowed to fire penitentiary officers who mistreat prisoners.

"I do not like to hear anymore reports about penitentiary officers taking illegal levies from visitors to the penitentiary. Just tell me about it and I will fire the officers," he said here on Saturday.

He said a lot of people had complained about illegal levies at penitentiaries. He said such activity must be stopped to improve the image of the ministry of justice before the public.

Besides illegal levies, he said, officers often also use violence against prisoners.

"I ever met a prisoner who suffered a physical defect which I later found out was inflicted on him by penitentiary officers. This must never happen again," he said.

He called on all penitentiary officers to be good and treat prisoners well so that they could be useful later after they are free.

Moreover, he said, the ministry of justice and human rights as well as the Attorney General Office have recently been given remuneration of up to Rp1.6 trillion. "It would be unethical if illegal levies still continue," he said.

The minister also said he would also fire immigration officers found acting improperly in their workplace.

"The warning must also be given to immigration officers because a lot of violations of regulations still happen. It is too much if they still do them while the state has also given them remuneration," he said.

Editor: Suryanto

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Malaysian Drug Smuggler Arrested in Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, May 18, 2011

Malaysian man Ganesan Sanmugam, 24,has been arrested in Indonesia
 for attempting to smuggle 1.4 kilograms of heroin into the country,
a customs official said on Wednesday. (Antara Photo)   

       

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Surabaya. A Malaysian man has been arrested in Indonesia for attempting to smuggle 1.4 kilograms of heroin into the country, a customs official said on Wednesday.

Ganesan Sanmugam, 24, was arrested on Friday shortly after landing in Surabaya city on a flight from Malaysia with heroin worth an estimated 2.1 billion rupiah ($245,700) in his luggage, officials said.

“The heroin package was wrapped with aluminium foil and hidden inside the suitcase pocket,” customs official Buhari Sirait told reporters.

Sanmugam admitted he was carrying the drugs but claimed he was only a courier, the official said.

He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Agence France-Presse