AIDS decimating two Papuan tribes<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jayapura<\/p>\n
Around 500 locals and religious leaders staged a rally around the
\nProvincial legislature in Jayapura, the capital of Papua
\nprovince, protesting the prolonged supply of liquor and sex
\nworkers with HIV\/AIDS from other provinces that has infected many
\npeople in the southern part of the country's easternmost
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators marched around the building while holding
\nbanners reading: Grill and prosecute security apparatus involved
\nin the Mappi case, The Indonesian Military is the protector of
\nthe people, not the killer of the people and AIDS has claimed
\nmany lives in Papua.<\/p>\n
They said that the fatal disease could infect all Papuan
\npeople and ultimately exterminate backward Papuan tribes, unless
\nconcrete measures were taken to control the fast spread of the
\ndisease.<\/p>\n
Corrupt security personnel have been accused of supplying
\nliquor and sex workers from Java and Sulawesi to locals in Assue
\nin their bid to collect the prized wood gaharu (a type of
\nfragrant wood) in the regency. The sex workers with HIV\/AIDS have
\ncontributed to the spread of the fatal disease in the regency.<\/p>\n
The Forum of Care for Assue, which organized the mass rally,
\ncalled on the government to stop the sale of liquor and gambling
\nand prostitution in Mappi regency, which has damaged social life
\nover the last 10 years.<\/p>\n
So far, 35 people with AIDS have been detected while many more
\nwith HIV have gone undetected because of their isolation in
\nremote areas in the regency.<\/p>\n
Rev. Yus Felix Wewengkang, director of Solidarity, Justice and
\nPeace in Merauke Diocese, warned that the Awyu and Wiyagar tribes
\ninhabiting the newly formed regency would be eliminated within
\nfive to 10 years because of the fast spread of HIV unless
\nconcrete measures were immediately taken.<\/p>\n
The Mappi issue has attracted the concern of local churches
\nand non-governmental organizations as the local government has
\nturned a blind eye to the issue.<\/p>\n
\"In the 1,900 square-kilometer Assue subdistrict with 15
\nvillages and a total population of 9,500, there are 12 bars and
\nentertainment centers offering many kinds of liquor, sex workers
\nand gambling machines,\" said Rev. Wewengkang.<\/p>\n
Local activists have blamed the gaharu trade for the inflow of
\nliquor and sex workers in the regency.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of ships from Java, Sulawesi and Malaysia have come
\nalmost every month since 1995 to the regency to supply gaharu
\ngatherers and to transport the high-priced commodity to be
\nsupplied to the international market.<\/p>\n
Over the last few years, the business has been backed by
\nunauthorized security personnel who usually offered prostitutes,
\nmany of whom have HIV\/AIDS, to gain support for the business from
\ntribal chiefs and informal leaders in the regency.<\/p>\n
Many people who earn from the sale of gaharu, frequent the
\nentertainment centers and bars offering prostitutes.<\/p>\n
The sex workers who come from Surabaya, Manado, Timika and
\nAgats often go to villages in remote areas to offer their
\nservices to locals and gaharu gatherers.<\/p>\n
Jacobus Yufu, a tribal chief in Assue, lamented the poor
\ncondition in his hometown, saying that gaharu's fame has
\ndestroyed traditional values in Mappi and trapped local people
\ninto illicit sex with the inevitable consequence of the fast
\nspread of HIV\/AIDS in the regency.<\/p>\n
He called on the government to prohibit the collection of the
\nprecious wood and the sale of liquor and to close down
\nentertainment centers in the regency.<\/p>\n
People with HIV\/AIDS have also been detected in neighboring
\nregencies Merauke and Timika, giving the province the highest
\nrank in the spread of the disease in the country. According to
\nthe recent study, the number of people with HIV\/AIDS in the
\nprovince has reached more than 15,000.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aids-decimating-two-papuan-tribes-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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