Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Search
Search:
Microchips for AIDS patients in eastern Indonesia
By NINIEK KARMINI,Associated Press Writer AP - 2 hours 52 minutes ago
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Lawmakers in Indonesia's remote province of Papua have thrown their support behind a controversial bylaw requiring some HIV/AIDS patients to be implanted with microchips _ part of extreme efforts to monitor the disease.
Health workers and rights activists sharply criticized the plan Monday.
But legislator John Manangsang said by implanting small computer chips beneath the skin of "sexually aggressive" patients, authorities would be in a better position to identify, track and ultimately punish those who deliberately infect others with up to six month in jail or a $5,000 fine.
The technical and practical details still need to be hammered out, he and others said, but the proposal has received full backing from the provincial parliament and, if it gets a majority vote as expected, will officially be declared a bylaw next month.
Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country and has one of Asia's fastest growing HIV rates, with up to 290,000 infections out of 235 million people, fueled mainly by intravenous drug users and prostitution.
But Papua, the country's easternmost and poorest province, has been hardest hit. Its case rate of almost 61 per 100,000 is 15 times the national average, according to internationally funded research, which blames lack of knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases.
"The health situation is extraordinary, so we have to take extraordinary action," said another lawmaker, Weynand Watari, who envisions radio frequency identification tags like those used to track everything from cattle to luggage.
A committee would be created to determine who should be fitted with chips and to monitor patients' behavior, but it remains unclear who would be on it and how they would carry out their work, lawmakers said Monday.
Health workers and rights activists called the plan "abhorrent."
"People with AIDS aren't animals; we have to respect their rights," said Tahi Ganyang Butarbutar, a prominent activist in Papua.
He said the best way to tackle the epidemic was through increased spending on sexual education and condom use.
____
Associated Press Writer Irwan Firdaus contributed to this report.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Indonesia
Microchips for AIDS patients in eastern IndonesiaAP - 1 hour 43 minutes ago
Strong quake, aftershocks hit Indonesia's Sumatra: seismologistsAFP - Sunday, November 23
Australia, Indonesia create disaster reduction centreAFP - Sunday, November 23
Strong quake hits waters off western IndonesiaAP - Sunday, November 23
Related Articles: Asia Pacific
Up to 19% pay cut for top civil servants; lower year—end bonusChannel NewsAsia - 48 minutes ago
3 Singaporeans to be sentenced for showing contempt of courtChannel NewsAsia - 1 hour 2 minutes ago
Freed Indian sailors recall hijack terrorAP - 1 hour 6 minutes ago
Top UN delegation visiting AfghanistanAP - 1 hour 12 minutes ago
Int’l school offering US—based curriculum to open at Upper Serangoon RdChannel NewsAsia - 1 hour 20 minutes ago
Related Full Coverage
Suharto
Former Indonesian president
All Full Coverage
Most Popular – Asia Pacific
Viewed
Michael Jackson settles court case: spokeswoman
Stricken German public bank KfW expects further losses
Slump in Europe spreads wider
Over 200 narwhal trapped in Canadian ice
Japan scientists eye made-to-order bones
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular