INDONESIA DIGEST Indonesia's complex Issues in a Nutshell By: Ms. Wuryastuti Sunario Published by: TBSC-Strategic Communication No.: 26.06 - Dated: 31 July 2006 In this issue:
MAIN FEATURE: VET TEAMS COMB COUNTRYSIDE TO STOP SPREAD OF BIRD FLU IN POULTRY NEWS AND BACKGROUND: 1. Tourism and Transportation: Indonesia fights Sexual and Commercial Exploitation of Children Pangandaran rebuilt as tsunami prepared Beach Resort 2. Health, Culture and the Environment: Telecommunications and Police Sirens strengthen Tsunami Warning System South Java has been hit by 3 tsunamis in past 400 years 3. The Economy, Trade and Industry: Infrastructure Conference in November 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------- MAIN FEATURE: Editor's Note: Because of the importance of Bird Flu and its spread, at first I intended to write a synopsis of the three articles below. The first was published by the Jakarta Post, the second by the Associated Press and the third by Indonesia's Trade and Investment News issued by the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs. However, on further thought, because of the complexity of the problems related to the spread of H5N1 virus, it would serve Indonesia Digest readers better when all articles are copied in the Digest in their original format, with here and there paragraphs erased, to shorten the length of this article. VET TEAMS COMB COUNTRYSIDE TO STOP SPREAD OF BIRD FLU IN POULTRY Indonesia reached a grim milestone recently, recording its 43rd human death from bird flu, the highest fatality figure in the world. Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari spoke with Jakarta Post's Tubagus Arie Rukmantara about the government's efforts to contain the H5N1 virus. Question: Indonesia recently recorded its 43rd human death from bird flu, which is the highest number in the world. What does this number mean to you? Answer: I have to explain this carefully. Yes, we are the highest in the world in terms of total number of bird flu human fatalities. But, if you view it from the perspective of population, it is because we have 220 million people living across 17,000 islands. Meanwhile, Vietnam has only about 80 million people with fewer geographical barriers than us. The situation of the two countries is incomparable. Nevertheless, we will not play it down. We are very concerned. Losing even one single life means a lot to us. The real question is -- why have so many people here gotten infected? We have to understand that the spread of bird flu accelerates in dense populations, both human and poultry. The problem is, in Indonesia the highest density poultry populations are found in backyard farms. And in backyard farms, many people are unaware of the importance of sanitation for the birds' cages and their surroundings. Many people just don't care about the importance of wearing gloves or personal protective equipment whenever they have contact with their birds, making them very much vulnerable to various health problems. Q: The government has been campaigning against bird flu, so why are so many people still unaware of the threat posed by bird flu? A: The fact is many regions are bird flu-free. That has made many people just ignore the problem. If you go to Tanah Karo, North Sumatra, most people think there is nothing to worry about with bird flu, although the region has recorded seven bird flu deaths from one family cluster, the largest cluster in the world. Nobody there is willing to undergo tests, they won't even let their chickens be tested. Fortunately, there have been no more outbreaks there. The present situation is not favorable. There are no systematic programs to stamp out bird flu. Our vaccination and disinfectant spraying campaigns have not had a significant impact. Such a situation might tempt people to feel they don't have to worry about bird flu. So, it is obvious that we have to improve our public campaign against bird flu. Q: How has the international community reacted to the situation here? A: The world community has criticized us for failing to address the issue of infected poultry. They do not criticize how we treat human patients. They can't say we have failed to cure patients, because there's no cure available. They worry about how we deal with the problem of sick chickens. The international community wants us to introduce mass culling of fowls, which is simply not feasible. In Vietnam, for example, poultry culling succeeded in containing the spread of the virus. But the public there accepted the policy and participated in the program, although it was not clear whether the government would compensate the farmers for their losses. In Thailand, the country has regularly culled sick birds, but the program is considered ineffective because the virus cannot be completely eliminated. And now, they are mobilizing thousands of students to conduct a bird flu campaign in villages. The two countries have succeeded in implementing such strategies partly because of their geographical conditions and partly because of people's awareness of the problem. Q: The WHO says that there has been limited human-to-human transmission of bird flu in Indonesia, but you consistently deny this. Why? A: All the data and samples of cases occurring here are kept by us. We haven't shared them with other institutions because we are still conducting our research. After studying samples taken from 56 patients, including those from the Karo cluster, we believe there has been no mutation in the virus. Those who say there have been human-to-human transmissions are epidemiologists, because when they see the virus infect a group of people they take that to mean transmission has occurred. I myself still believe that the virus has not mutated, because all the samples show the virus comes from chickens, not from some other sources. Q: What is your office doing to prevent more deaths? A: Because the key is public awareness and prevention, we will work together with organizations such as Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, to increase people's awareness of sanitation and health matters. We will ask them to spray their backyards with disinfectant, have their chickens vaccinated and wash their hands frequently, which has proven to be the most efficient and effective way to stop the virus Indonesian vets, sleuth-like, comb the countryside for infected poultry In a more positive note, Margie Mason reports for the Associated Press as follows: Indonesia, the world's latest hot spot for bird flu, appears to be taking steps at last to beat back the spread of the disease in its poultry flocks. In just six months, teams of veterinarians marching along dusty, twisting paths in the remote villages of this sprawling country have uncovered more flu outbreaks among birds than experts had even imagined. "It's still just the tip of the iceberg," said Jeff Mariner, an animal health expert from Tufts University who has been working with the effort since it began in January. This new, but still limited, cooperation through a pilot project has somewhat heartened world health officials who have watched with dread as Indonesia's human bird flu cases quietly mounted while the government did little. With 42 deaths since July 2005, Indonesia is now tied with Vietnam as the world's hardest-hit country in human avian flu deaths. However, Vietnam has had no bird flu deaths since last year. Indonesia's new effort to gain control of the disease has dozens of veterinarians and other health workers doing detective work - going door-to-door to uncover hidden outbreaks in poultry flocks. They've found about 90 so far and look for key tip-offs. When it comes to sleuthing out bird flu, (vets like) Aprianti, 27, and Dewi, 31, have the skills of a Sherlock Holmes. They carry out five-minute tests on sick or dead birds. If the H5N1 virus is found, they notify a response team that helps with slaughtering and vaccinating. Eventually, hundreds of similar detectives will form community-based surveillance and response teams. The project is a cooperative one between Indonesia's government and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. The task is mind-boggling in an archipelago that roughly stretches the width of the United States, with 220 million people and billions of backyard chickens. Health workers hope to reach a third of Indonesia's nearly 450 districts by next spring. Indonesia grabbed world attention in May when seven of eight infected members of a single family died. The World Health Organization concluded that limited human-to-human transmission was likely to blame, but the virus did not spread beyond the blood family members - the world's largest cluster. Experts fear the virus will mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a global pandemic. So far, at least 134 people have died worldwide since the disease began spreading in Asia in late 2003. (WHO officials later reconfirmed that despite the cluster, the H5N1) flu virus has not yet mutated to human-to-human infection - ed.) Most human cases have been linked to contact with infected birds. "We have to control it in animals because the transmission is not human-to-human," says Dr. Douglas Klaucke, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who recently met with Aprianti and Dewi's surveillance team. "The transmission is coming from the animals." While Vietnam's mass poultry slaughter helped nip the threat there, circumstances are very different in Indonesia. While communist Vietnam has a strong centralized government, the power to fight bird flu in Indonesia lies largely at local levels. Jakarta's recommendations mean little unless community officials are on board. The surveillance and response teams are a way to reach those leaders, by empowering local veterinarians to work directly with backyard farmers. "This is presently the best option because it can detect that our reporting is very weak," said Elly Sudiana, who oversees the program for the Ministry of Agriculture. "So, through this ... early detection can be improved and response can be improved." So far, the program has received more than $8 million from international donors, but FAO has said it needs at least $50 million for a nationwide system. "It's making a huge difference," said Lisa M. Kramer of the U.S. Agency for International Development. "It's a great way to get information out for prevention and a great way to understand how disease is moving through communities and a great way to control it and to contain it." Government Culls Poultry in the Karo Highlands of North Sumatra In the latest development, the Indonesia's Trade and Investment News published by the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs filed the following update in Indonesia's fight against Bird Flu, both in poultry as well as in humans: Animal husbandry officials launched a raid on poultry infected with bird flu on Tuesday (25/7/06) in the Karo area of North Sumatra, killing hundreds of birds in an area where residents had earlier defied attempts to cull flocks. By Wednesday afternoon, 1,890 birds had been culled by a task force backed by military and police. The carcasses were burned. The raid occurred in the same area from which eight members of a single family were infected by the virus, with only one surviving. Another member of the family was buried before samples could be taken for testing. Officials said three birds in the area tested positive for bird flu at 6 PM on Tuesday, with the raid to cull the birds beginning only three hours later. (Sources: the Jakarta Post, Associated Press and Indonesia's Trade and Investment News)) -------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS AND BACKGROUND: 1. Tourism and Transportation: Indonesia fights Sexual and Commercial Exploitation of Children in Tourism TPI TV on 28 July evening showed an investigative report on the arrest of an alleged pedophile on the island of Lombok. The Australian national, whom Police reported was named "Don" had allegedly molested 5 boys. Besides writing for the Lombok Times, Don was also General Manager of a beach hotel on the island. With the enactment of Law No. 23 of 2002 on the Crime of Sexual and Commercial Exploitation of Women and Children, Indonesian Police now have a strong legal basis to arrest predators. With this Law (Parliamentary Act), proven criminals are punishable with up to a 15-years jail term. The District Court in Bali had already convicted a pedophile with 12 years in jail. According to the story, Don had lured the boys into his hotel room with promises of, - for the boys coming from poor parents, - luxurious presents such as hand phones. Luring them to his room, Don abused them one by one. Don then told the boys to sneak into his room through the window to take the cell phones, - which they did. But, on sneaking in, they were caught by the hotel's security and handed to the police for breaking in. But the boys had another story to tell the Police. After thorough investigation, Police found evidence that Don had indeed abused the boys, which Don and his lawyer promptly denied. But Don was consequently arrested and is now awaiting trial. Further, according to TPI, Australian Police were called in, who confirmed that Don was a convicted pedophile who had fled Australia after finishing his sentence. "This is just the tip of the iceberg", said a spokesperson of the NGO Yayasan Tunas Alam. For, ever since Lombok grew as a tourist destination, more than 100 boys have been lured with promises. Seventeen foreign pedophiles have been identified by this NGO, with more than half being Australian nationals. To fight sexual and commercial exploitation of Children in Tourism, the Department of Culture and Tourism, supported by the Australian government and ChildWise NGO of Australia, will activate the campaign against this crime within the purview of Tourism stakeholders, at a Business Breakfast on 3 August at the Mercure Hotel at Jalan Hayam Wuruk in Jakarta. Pangandaran to be rebuilt as tsunami-prepared Beach Resort When President Yudhoyono met evacuees of the recent tsunami in Pangandaran, West Java, he promised that not only will the government restore West Java' s most popular beach resort to its former popularity, but the president was determined to build Pangandaran into a much better resort. In a follow up action, Minister for Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, explained how Pangandaran will be rebuilt as a tsunami prepared Beach Resort. First and foremost, buildings, hotels, restaurants and roads will be barred from being constructed on sites less than 100 meters from the shoreline at high tide. Secondly, an infrastructure of a tsunami warning system of sirens will be linked and packaged with an evacuation system, to allow evacuees to leave the area safely and instantly (better known as tsunami exit plan). Then on elevated ground, some half to one kilometer from the shoreline, evacuation areas will be constructed. These will built with concrete pillars, covering areas of 100m. by 100 m. and a ceiling height of 4m. to 5 m. Similar tsunami exit systems will be installed at other popular beach resort that are likely to be hit by tsunamis, such as at Anyer, and Pelabuhan Ratu (at Banten and West Java) and Nusa Dua , Kuta and Sanur in Bali, reported Kompas. Meanwhile, Minister Jero Wacik promised that the government would assist Pangandaran hotel owners to obtain credit rescheduling, with priority provided to those with credit of at least Rp 5 billion. While, in his report to the Minister, the Ciamis District Head, Engkon Komara explained that during the 17 July tsunami, at least 81 hotels and restaurants in Pangandaran were destroyed. Pangandaran has one 3-star rated hotel and the remainder are non-stars. Of these, 55 were heavily damaged and 12 sustained minor damage. 2. The Environment, Health and Culture: Telecommunications and Police Sirens strengthen Tsunami Warning System Responding to criticisms that the government had been slow in warning local inhabitants of the impending tsunami along the south coast of Java, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Chairman of the National Coordinating Body for Natural Disasters, has called on related Ministers to urgently work towards the completion of the tsunami warning system to be accelerated to 2008 at the latest, and that threatened communities must receive adequate warning, no later than 20 minutes after the earthquake. Meanwhile, awaiting installation of the system, Minister for Information and Communications, Sofjan Djalil, has called on all television and radio stations to be immediately linked into the warning system of BMG, Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Board, reports Bisnis Indonesia. Television and Radio stations are instructed to interrupt all broadcast should an announcement of an earthquake be made by BMG especially those that warn of a possible tsunami. Therefore, for now, warnings to local expected stricken areas could be relayed through existing available systems, whose equipment will only need slight adjustments. These include BTS (Base Transmission Stations) towers constructed to relay cell phone signals, that are already installed in many parts of the islands by operators like Telkomsel and Indosat , as well as the radio and telecommunication network used by Indonesia's national Police. Telkomsel is said to operate more than 6,000 mobile phone transmission towers throughout the country, and has targeted their expansion to all districts nationwide this year. Sirens will now be attached to existing BTS towers that will be directly linked to the BMG system. A hotline will also be installed from BMG to the Jakarta Police Headquarters, who can immediately relay tsunami warnings to provincial, district, or even local police stations. Meanwhile, Research and Technology Minister Kusmayanto Kadiman said Thursday that the government aimed to complete the construction of three seismic sensor devices in Sumatra, Java and Bali by the end of the year, reported the Jakarta Post. "In line with the construction of the devices, the government also plans to install sirens on mobile phone transmission towers." The sirens would allow for the faster alert of local communities and for their evacuation to higher ground. "Using the new devices, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG), which will receive the warning of the disaster, will immediately relay the warning to the office of the communication and information minister," he said. "The minister's office will in turn deliver the warning to all phone operators, including Telkomsel and Indosat, so that they can activate the sirens." Minister Kusmayanto said the government has allocated funds amounting to Rp 1.2 trillion (about US$127 million) from both state and regional budgets for the installation of the devices. Meanwhile, responding to public criticism, on its part, in the past week, BMG has been busy issuing information on a number of earthquakes in many parts of Indonesia, from Nias to Bali and Nusatenggara, citing those of above magnitude 4 on the Richter scale. However, thankfully, up to now, no tsunami has been triggered by these quakes. Nonetheless, the warnings, which are now continuously broadcast through Television News Tickers have made Indonesians finally come to terms with the fact that the Indonesian archipelago is indeed earthquake-prone land. For, before the earthquake and the tsunami that struck Aceh in December 2004, Indonesians only knew of volcanic eruptions, which could at times cause earthquakes. But, as to tectonic earthquakes, these somehow would happen rarely on Java, - so we thought - and no one even remembers a devastating earthquake during his or her lifetime, let alone one that caused a tsunami. For, to the average Indonesian, until lately, tsunamis happened only in Japan or other countries, but never in Indonesia - or so we thought. Now we know better. South Java had been hit by 3 devastating tsunamis in past 400 years Indonesian Palaeo-tsunami scientists of LIPI (the Indonesian Institute of Science and Research), working together with their Japanese counterparts studying the tsunami-stricken area in south Java, discovered that in the past 400 years, Pangandaran and neighbouring south coast areas had been hit by 3 devastating tsunamis. They came to this conclusion after digging through layers of soil to a depth of more than 2 meters, reports the Kompas daily. The tsunami prior to last 17 July's, occurred here in 1921, which was in fact described by Dutch geologist Mc. Cann, said LIPI Head of LIPI Geotechnology Department, Dr. Hery Haryono to Kompas daily. Meanwhile, Dr. Eko Julianto, who had completed his studies at the Hokkaido University in Japan also discovered that an earlier tsunami that hit the area occurred even before 1600, prior to the arrival of the Dutch in Indonesia. Samples of this layer were sent to labs in the United States for carbon-dating. While, another joint Indonesian-Japanese team that included the Indonesian Department of Marine Affairs and Fishery, working in cooperation with the Port and Airport Research Institute of Japan and the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, confirmed that, after studying 200 meter stricken coast line, the recent tsunami had hit the south coast at varying strengths and height, creating between high waves between 4.33 m. to highest of 7.75 m at some points. These waves were triggered by the earthquake measuring 7.7 RS magnitude that occurred on 17 July 2006 at 15.19 hrs. local time. 30 Orangutans to be returned to Central Kalimantan habitat Thirty of the 53 Indonesian orangutans recently confiscated by the government of Thailand will soon be released in their new habitat in Central Kalimantan and Sumatra, to increase the present population of these primates, said Director General for Nature Conservation at the Department of Forestry, Arman Malolongan. In the past decade, Indonesia's orangutan population had decreased drastically, from 37,000 to a present 20,000 only. The 30 orangutans to be returned to the wild have been examined and are healthy, while those still quarantined in Thailand still suffer from a number of diseases ranging from tuberculosis to hepatitis B, reports Bisnis Indonesia. 3. The Economy, Trade and Industry: Infrastructure Conference in November 2006 Indonesia is due to hold an infrastructure conference and exhibition in November in an effort to drum up private sector investment in infrastructure, reports Indonesia's Trade and Investment News published by the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy. Titled "Indonesia Infrastructure 2006", the conference will be held on November 1-3, and will include a two-day forum and workshop on Indonesia's infrastructure needs in which senior decision-makers from the government, industry and international agencies will address a variety of strategic issues. Participants from the technical, commercial, legal and financial sectors will attend the event. Coordinating Minister for the Economy Boediono said in a statement 4 July, that the government would announce new investment rules and policies during the conference. "At the conference, presentations will be made by officials from the relevant ministries on the projects on offer and the new rules," he was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post. Suyono Dikun, the Coordinating Minister's Deputy for Infrastructure, said that it is expected that a number of new regulations and laws would be put in place before the conference. The new rules would seek to improve legal standards, ease restrictive central and local government interference, and reduce the length of time required to set up a business to about 30 days compared to 150 days at present. Dikun said that over the coming five years, Indonesia would need about Rp600 trillion (about $63 billion) in new investment in the infrastructure sector. 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