"Indigenous peoples have the right to access, without any discrimination, to all medical institutions, health services and medical care."
Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, The United Nations Commission on Human Rights
Papua's women and children have been under relentless attack since Indonesia first invaded, leaving immense psychological scars. Reports of raids on villages usually contain references to sexual violations, and often describe women and children forced to watch family members being raped or tortured to death. Early reports document Indonesian soldiers picking up children by the feet and smashing their heads against rocks as mothers pleaded for mercy. These raids are designed to terrorize and demoralize as well as to destroy.
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses
Importation of Multiple HIV Type 1 Strains into West Papua, Indonesia (Irian Jaya)
Nov 2001, Vol. 17, No. 17: 1655-1659HIV-1 from 16 sexually transmitted disease clinic patients in Timika, West Papua, Indonesia was amplified by RT-PCR and subtyped by a combination of envelope and gag region heteroduplex mobility analysis (HMA) and direct PCR DNA sequencing. HMA showed the presence of 14 subtype E (CRF01_AE) and 2 subtype B HIV-1. Phylogenetic analysis of a 540-bp V3-V4 region of gp120 showed that 9 of 10 CRF01_AE variants clustered tightly with a median distance of 1.3% (range, 0.5 to 2.2%) whereas 1 CRF01_AE variant diverged significantly from the others (median distance, 10.7%; range, 10.1 to 11.8%). One subtype B virus envelope was typical of United States/European strains whereas the other appeared to be related to Thai subtype B' variants.
These results reflect the independent introduction of multiple HIV-1 strains into West Papua, with the rapid spread in the majority of infected patients tested of a single strain of HIV-1E (CRF01_AE)
B. Foley
Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87501
E. Donegan
Department of Anesthesia, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
N. Silitonga
International SOS, PT Freeport, Indonesia
F.S. Wignall
International SOS, PT Freeport, Indonesia
M.P. Busch
Blood Centers of the Pacific, San Francisco, California 94118; University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
E.L. Delwart
Blood Centers of the Pacific, San Francisco, California 94118; University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
HIV-1 from 16 sexually transmitted disease clinic patients in Timika, West Papua, Indonesia was amplified by RT-PCR and subtyped by a combination of envelope and gag region heteroduplex mobility analysis (HMA) and direct PCR DNA sequencing. HMA showed the presence of 14 subtype E (CRF01_AE) and 2 subtype B HIV-1. Phylogenetic analysis of a 540-bp V3-V4 region of gp120 showed that 9 of 10 CRF01_AE variants clustered tightly with a median distance of 1.3% (range, 0.5 to 2.2%) whereas 1 CRF01_AE variant diverged significantly from the others (median distance, 10.7%; range, 10.1 to 11.8%). One subtype B virus envelope was typical of United States/European strains whereas the other appeared to be related to Thai subtype B' variants. These results reflect the independent introduction of multiple HIV-1 strains into West Papua, with the rapid spread in the majority of infected patients tested of a single strain of HIV-1E (CRF01_AE)
Note:- These research results add to the credibility of the claim that HIV-AIDS is being deliberately introduced to the West Papua highland population by the Indonesian Military (Kopassus) due to the differing strains of the HIV-AIDS virus being identified from that at Timika.
The AMP (Alliance of Papuan Students) sees the absence of any serious policy by Jakarta to deal with the rapid spread of HIV-AIDS in West Papua as a deliberate policy aimed at the genocide of Papuans.
3 October, 2006
The spread of AIDS is not just confined to West Papua. It is a Catastrophe on Australia's doorstep, as a result of it's spread into PNG.
See this link. Catastrophe on Australia's doorstep.
26 October, 2005
REGION: West Papua HIV Status Queried At Conference
The delegate said more people are infected with the HIV virus in West Papua than PNG, yet international agencies are only concentrating on the eastern end of Papua.
A delegate attending the UNICEF/UNAIDS' launch of their campaign on protecting children from HIV/AIDS Auckland, New Zealand wondered about the lack of publicity on the plight of West Papuans living with the disease.
The delegate said more people are infected with the HIV virus in West Papua than PNG, yet international agencies are only concentrating on the eastern end of Papua.
Responding to the query, JVR Prasada Rao, director of UNAIDS' Asia & Pacific team office, said the spotlight was on PNG for obvious reasons: it is an independent sovereign nation whilst West Papua is an Indonesian province.
25 October 2005
HIV Aids problem in West Papua must be highlighted
Press Release: Indonesia Human Rights Committee
HIV Aids problem in West Papua must be highlighted at the Pan Pacific Aids Conference
The problem of HIV/Aids is even greater in West Papua than in neighbouring Papua New Guinea where the infection rates are said to be at epidemic levels. Comparing the prevalence rates of people
14 October, 2005
Question 2 (In Dutch Parliament)
How you assess the statements which are done in the report concerning the role of the indonesian army at illegal cap and other disturbing economic activities, at destabilising Papoea by orchestrating attacks of which the blame is laid at Papoease independence movements, the illegal arms trafficking, training anti-Papoea-milities, the prostitution and the distribution of
HIV/AIDS? Have you information which confirms these perceptions, or correctly in another one places slightly?
"Indigenous peoples have the right to access, without any discrimination, to all medical institutions, health services and medical care."
Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, The United Nations Commission on Human Rights
18 August, 2005
West Papuan Report highlights Genocide
A new report by the University of Sydney’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and Elsham, the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy based in Jayapura, was launched at Parliament House in Canberra on August 18. “Genocide in West Papua? The role of the Indonesian state apparatus and a current needs assessment of the Papuan people” details the ongoing human rights abuses, the systematic violence, including rape, arson and torture, in the Indonesian-occupied territory of West Papua.It is hoped that the report’s release will focus the international community’s attention on West Papua. With the increasing number of troops being deployed to the province, the creation of pro-Jakarta militias, new migrants arriving daily, the spread of HIV/AIDS and the exploitation of the natural resource of the province, the West Papuan people need support now more than ever.
Mama Josepha Alomang works to address Papuan grievances especially for women victims of rape and torture. She told of how she hadn't always understood that the land is a human rights issue: "we come from the land, we will die for the land". However in the face of Indonesian violence, and the killing of innocent people she is very concerned. The deadly spread of AIDS is akin to genocide. The prevalence of HIV/ AIDS infection in West Papua is over thirty times the Indonesian national average. West Papua is the second poorest province, with the least capacity to fight the scourge.
John Scott Murphy said that whilst statistics are scarce, it may be that Papua has the highest levels of HIV in the region - higher than Burma, Thailand, Cambodia or Papua New Guinea. Furthermore compared to their western counterparts the life expectancy of HIV positive people is extremely short and lack of appropriate treatment and medication means a miserable quality of life for them in West Papua. The World Bank has argued that HIV-AIDS solutions are linked to development - that the more years of schooling you have the less likely you are to contract the virus. However he argues that where there is a widespread pandemic and people are unable to make decisions about their lives - as in Papua - this is irrelevant. We cannot wait for development - we need to help Papuans immediately, and particularly women, in this fundamental pressing concern.
18 August, 2005
"The Papuan people are apparently being left to ruin by the international community. According to Infectious diseases physician John McBride, Papua is headed for an HIV disaster on the scale of the worst African countries. And infant mortality and life expectancy are among the worst in the world."
Democrats' Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Senator Natasha Stott Despoja.
14 May, 2005
SYSTEMATIC GENOCIDE OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF WEST PAPUA UNDER SPECIAL AUTONOMY
HIV/AIDS (Silent killing) is occurring in West Papua with the trade of women who are infected with HIV/AIDS. This is a means of depopulation, or genocide, against the indigenous people of West Papua. In Mappi, Merauke the military and police are bringing infected women into the community of sandalwood gatherers. The women are bargained for against the value of the sandalwood. There are almost 14,000 to15,000 known HIV/AIDS sufferers in West Papua.
April 4, 2005
The Jakarta Post
JAYAPURA: The number of people with HIV/AIDS is on the rise in Papua, with around 500 people testing positive for the virus every year. Latest data from the Papua province health office in March this year showed that 1,874 people were HIV/AIDS positive, an increase from the 1,749 people in December last year. "If there's an addition of 125 HIV positive people in three months, it means 500 in a year. That's an official figure. But if we use the theory that claims for every known HIV positive case there are 100 unknown, it might mean 5,000 HIV positive cases a year," said Suwardi Redjo, head of communicable diseases subdivision at the Papua health office on Saturday. Of the official figure of 1,874, 1,131 were HIV positive and 743 had full-blown AIDS. Most of them were between 20-29 years of age (785), 30-39 years (451), 15-19 years (165) and 40-49 (161).
31 January, 2005
Government data shows people known to be infected with HIV in Papua reached 1,749 out of a total 2.1 million population in December but officials fear this figure is probably only the tip of the iceberg.
Six hundred and ninety six people are known to have developed full-blown AIDS and 232 people are known to have died of AIDS-related illnesses.
Jakarta Post
Note: The Jakarta Post is not regarded as a highly credible source as it is subject to Indonesian Government direction.
18 August, 2005
The report also outlines corrupt Indonesian military activities including illegal logging, rigged construction projects and theft of aid, as well as prostitution and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Sydney Morning Helald
10 January 2005
Papua's women and children under fire
By Benedetti
Papua's women and children have been under relentless attack since Indonesia first invaded, leaving immense psychological scars. Reports of raids on villages usually contain references to sexual violations, and often describe women and children forced to watch family members being raped or tortured to death. Early reports document Indonesian soldiers picking up children by the feet and smashing their heads against rocks as mothers pleaded for mercy. These raids are designed to terrorize and demoralize as well as to destroy.
In its 2003 annual human rights report on Indonesia, the U.S. government stated without any ambiguity that rape and other brutalities against women have been made a weapon of war by the Indonesian military.
2004
An alarming new trend is the rise of HIV/AIDS cases in the province. According to new studies, there are 1,263 people living with HIV, including 539 who have contracted AIDS. West Papuan cases represent roughly 30 percent of the total number of 3,782 known HIV/AIDS cases throughout Indonesia , although the people of West Papua represent only about 1 percent of the country's total population. According to Constan Karma, Chairman of the Commission for Handling of AIDS (KPA), "if no action is taken, we fear the number of people with HIV/AIDS in West Papua will reach 126,000 in the next decade." [14]
HIV/AIDS Treatment in Meruake: Addressing a Growing Threat
As Médecins Sans Frontières prepares outlying villages for potential epidemics, elsewhere in the region a serious disease outbreak is already well under way. West Papua has only 1% of Indonesia’s total population, but more than 35% of its AIDS patients, and the infection rate is steepest in Meruake, a port city with a thriving commercial sex trade.
Specific data on AIDS in West Papua is limited, despite recording the highest number of carriers in Indonesia. This is a recent and frightening phenomenon. The official figures show the number of cases has tripled between 1990-1995
Only 40.8 per cent of Papuan children are immunised.
The maternal mortality rate is three times greater in West Papua than in the rest of Indonesia.
The spread of HIV and AIDS in the territory has reached an alarming level: it is estimated that as much as five per cent of the population may be infected with HIV.
November 2002
Women becoming more at risk of impoverishment, particularly in households headed by women;
Women bearing both the physical and mental strain of mine development, especially when it involves resettlement;
Women suffering from an increased risk of HIV/AIDS and other STD infections, family violence, rape and prostitution - often fuelled by alcohol abuse and/or a transient male workforce; and
Women suffering active and often brutal discrimination in the workplace.
Tunnel Vision: Women, Mining and Communities, Forum Report, November 2002
July 2002
Cassandra Cries For West Papua
HIV-AIDS as a genocidal strategy?
Julie Flanagan
Barcelona, July 2002In a recent article , the Reverend John Barr of the Uniting Church in Australia discusses the alarming situation in West Papua, describing it as genocidal in terms of the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide. It is not the first, nor will it be the last time that Cassandra has cried out in vain for West Papua. Since the "Act of Free Choice" in 1969 when the United Nations, pushed by U.S. geopolitical and economic (oil and minerals) concerns, fulfilled its mission of ensuring that West Papua would become "Irian Jaya", Indonesia's 26th province , the Indonesian government has imposed an almost total ban on independent observers. Yet information does trickle out and, over many years, accounts by distressed individuals, hearsay, and circumstantial evidence have eventually turned into hard facts which are available in some publications about what is probably the world's least known and least cared-about genocide.
21 August, 2000
Another major health concern is that Irian Jaya tops statistics withthe highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in Indonesia.
The spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which causes the deadly Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has shown a steady rise.
Official statistics show that since 1996, there have been 393 cases of HIV/AIDS recorded in Irian Jaya.
But health activists say this number could be just the tip of the iceberg as many cases remain undocumented.
HIV/AIDS Treatment in Meruake: Addressing a Growing Threat
As MSF prepares outlying villages for potential epidemics, elsewhere in the region a serious disease outbreak is already well under way. West Papua has only 1% of Indonesia’s total population, but more than 35% of its AIDS patients, and the infection rate is steepest in Meruake, a port city with a thriving commercial sex trade.
Contact Information
e-mail: wpngnc@optusnet.com.au