Activists urge law to curb fast spreading HIV in Indonesia
Activists urge law to curb fast spreading HIV in Indonesia
Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Alarmed by the rapid spread of HIV and AIDS, activists
proposed on Wednesday that Indonesia make a law to help curb it.
The law would deal with monitoring the epidemic, establishment
of various standards (related to condoms, HIV testing and blood
transfusions), intervention and programs (including harm
reduction), and protection of HIV/AIDS victims from
discrimination.
"An AIDS law is indeed necessary. However, let's make sure
that it is useful and does not create new problems," Suriadi
Gunawan, chairman of the Indonesia AIDS Care Society, said at a
seminar on AIDS.
AIDS activists have been inspired by legislation in Canada,
the United States and the Philippines.
The Ministry of Health has reported that as of September 2001,
there were 635 cases of AIDS and 1,678 of HIV. AIDS activists,
however, estimate that the actual number stands at 80,000 to
120,000, and is increasing.
Suriadi said that at present, discrimination against people
with HIV/AIDS was widespread, especially in the workplace, and
they had no legal protection.
President of the Indonesian Healthy Life Movement Institute
(LAHSI) M. Nasser said that the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS
in Indonesia could allow "criminal transmission" of the virus.
"Deliberately transmitting HIV should be treated as a crime
because it poses a health risk to society," Nasser said.
"Therefore a law is needed to deal with such a crime."
A person who intentionally transmits HIV can be charged under
the law. In Canada, the U.S and the Philippines, which have AIDS
laws, such an act can be prosecuted under their criminal codes.
Nasser said he had never personally dealt with such a criminal
act but had heard of two incidents.
Nasser said that the law should also respect human rights. For
example, the law should make it clear that the result of an HIV
test must be kept strictly confidential.
"What happens now is that the identity of many people tested
HIV positive is made public and they are then subject to
discrimination," Nasser said.
Nasser suggested that if the making of law on AIDS was not
possible at present, strategies on preventing it ought to be
incorporated into health law.