Java is front line in bird flu battle

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post/Busan, South Korea

As the human death toll for avian influenza in Indonesia rises, Singapore and the United States are planning to begin a pilot project here to combat the outbreak.

The two countries, assisted by the World Bank and under the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO), will set up a center of bird flu containment in an infected area in the country, presidential spokesman Dino Djalal said here on Friday.

"If the pilot project is deemed successful, it will be applied in other infected areas or in other countries," he said.

The decision to launch the project was delivered during a bilateral meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting.

Indonesia is facing difficulties fighting the outbreak alone, raising concerns among the international community that the country could become a breeding ground for the virus to spread between humans and cause a global pandemic.

During the past nine months, 11 people have contracted bird flu here, with seven people dying from the virus. Seventeen other suspected cases are in hospitals in Java and one other is being monitored in Bali.

At least 64 people have died in Asia from bird flu after coming into contact with infected birds. Some 150 million poultry have been culled in the region but migrating wild birds have ensured the spread of the disease has continued unabated.

Dino said Susilo and Lee also spoke about the progress of the negotiations to create an extradition treaty between the two countries, which he called a "very constructive negotiation."

Cooperation in defense and security and efforts to step up the fight against terrorism were also on the agenda, with Lee praising Indonesia's recent achievement, the death of Jamaah Islamiyah terrorist Azahari bin Husin.

Regarding trade, Lee told Susilo that Singapore had started publishing the country's trade statistics with Indonesia since January this year in an effort to help Indonesia fight smuggling and other illicit trade activities.

"Singapore will transparently publish the real picture of the trade statistics between the two countries on a regular basis, including export and import figures from third countries. This is to help the two countries curb smuggling," Dino said.