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  • In Tanah Papua, the 260 or so indigenous Papuan tribes make up less than half of the 3,6 million inhabitants. HIV prevalence, however, is almost twice as high among indigenous Papuans than among migrants, and in some areas Papuans make up 80% of the positive cases. The feeling among Papuans that their traditions and cultures are slowly being eroded due to transmigration, rapid economic development, rampant resource extraction and the political climate is widespread. The increased reliance on money coupled with a lack of paid employment in rural areas has drawn many to the cities, severely impacting traditional social structures. Disorientation in the face of rapid changes are visible in all urban centres. Alcohol abuse, for instance, has become a rampant problem among the indigenous population.
    HIV/AIDS in Papua Broken Community.jpg
  • In rural areas, health care services are few and far between. The majority of health care staff in the available centres are migrants from other parts of Indonesia who do not speak the local languages and have little affinities for indigenous cultural beliefs and practices. Most institutions, in particular the Ministry of Health, are still run by Indonesian migrants to the province. Many Papuans view government health care services, which remain riddled with corruption, a lack of proper follow-up procedures and poor training for the staff, as part of the Indonesian colonial machinery. Rumours are ripe that HIV was introduced in order to decimate the indigenous population. Trust towards government run hospitals is low and many will only go there as a last resort.
    HIV/AIDS Papua healthcare.jpg
  • Markets where indigenous Papuans sell local produce are pushed outside the urban centres
    traditional market.jpg
  • The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Papua is highlighting the inequalities between newcomers and the majority of indigenous people. The imposition of Indonesian and capitalist values, presented by colonial authorities as the new ideal for Papuans to follow, have severely impacted the faith in the worth of its own traditions. The political situation has brought about an unsustainable national development program, which is merely exacerbating corruption and inequalities. Urban centres are drawing away men and teenagers of both sexes further away from the poles of local traditional authority without a culturally suited alternative to sustain a healthy social lifestyle.<br />
For Papua's indigenous population to survive the threat of the HIV epidemic, a unified, culturally appropriate awareness raising campaign must be implemented from the bottom up, with the support of the Indonesian government. But an HIV campaign will only slightly slow the spread of the virus if no significant changes are done to improve health and social conditions as well as the recognition of Papuan norms, values and cultures as contemporary to the predominant Javanese-Indonesian norms rather than as the remnants of a backward culture that is threatening the unity of the country.
    HIV/AIDS Papua Pemekaran.jpg
  • Most shops and nearly all commercial activity is controlled by Indonesian newcomers. Indigenous Papuans sit outside the shops and sell a handful of betelnut or vegetables.
    Selling pinang.jpg
  • The imposition of Western and Indonesian values are rapidly side-lining age old traditions and cultures. This has lead to an increasing disorientation for many indigenous Papuans
    HIV/AIDS in Papua lifestyle change.jpg
  • Landing strips and roads are being built to allow access to the natural riches of the most remote parts of Papua. These developments allow newcomers to settle further in the island and indigenous Papuans to travel to towns.This increasing mobility further bolsters the spread of the virus.
    HIV/AIDS Papua increasing mobility.jpg
  • Indonesian newcomers control most of the commercial and economic activities and most indigenous Papuans are economically sidelined. Papua has a typical frontier economy, where very high returns can be made on small investments. The import of consumer goods has had a significant impact on nutrition, with many Papuans turning away from traditional agricultural produce to packaged noodles, oil and sugar. Proper nutrition is essential in checking the spread of HIV.
    HIV/AIDS in Papua Economic realities...jpg
  • In Timika, the effects of the mining activities of the largest gold mine in the world, operated by Arizona-based company Freeport-MacMoran, are clearly visible. The course of the Aikwa river has been severely modified, as has the wildlife and flora upon which depended the indigenous population.
    HIV/AIDS in Papua environmental degr...jpg
  • During a discussion group among the indigenous people living in the difficult to access mountainous interior of Panay. Their banana and cassava plants were all destroyed during the storm.
    During a discussion group in Lahug.jpg
  • With the growth of any urban centre and natural resource extraction comes prostitution. In Timika, with a population growing by 10% every year, 600 prostitutes are officially registered. Most HIV outreach programs are focussing on prostitutes, following the national HIV program. Although attention to prostitutes and their clients is essential, it does not match the real needs. Among prostitutes working in semi-official brothels and massage parlours, almost all of whom are migrants from other Indonesian islands, HIV awareness and access to condoms are relatively good. However, street prostitutes, mainly indigenous Papuans, have access neither to condoms, nor do they have much awareness about the virus.
    HIV/AIDS Papua Prostitution.jpg
  • Shopping mall.jpg
  • Bosnik beach Biak Papua
    Biak
  • Advertisements promise new realities
    Advertisements and capitalism.jpg
  • In the highlands everything needs to be brought in by plane. Consumer goods leave a desert of rubbish behind
    Planes come in and rubbish stays.jpg
  • Biak Fish market Papua
    Biak fish market
  • On the beach in Bosnik - Biak island
    Biak
  • Supermarkets.jpg
  • Biak fish market - pasar Ikan
    Biak fish market - pasar ikan
  • Imported goods.jpg
  • Due to the rapid changes, the community is falling apart in many places. Subsistence culture is being replaced by capitalism in less than a generation and  disorientation is widespread.
    Broken community.jpg
  • As nearly all commercial activity is in the hands of Indonesian newcomers, money transactions are one way.
    Money culture.jpg
  • Biak fish market - pasar ikan
    Biak fish market - pasar ikan
  • Statue...
    Biak
  • Pigs are a source of wealth for highland Papuans
    Breeding pigs.jpg
  • The concept of paper money and commercial transactions are a relatively new concept in highland Papua. In a so called subsistence economy, transactions of goods were purely ritual (weddings, funerals, war payments etc)
    Barter.jpg
  • Import of goods.jpg
  • Aggressive development is taking place all over Indonesian Papua
    Aggressive development.jpg
  • Shopping malls sprout like mushrooms all over urban centres
    Shopping mall.jpg
  • More and more Indonesians from other islands are moving to the highlands of Papua. <br />
<br />
Indonesians from other island are controlling all commercial activities.
    Transmigration Papua.jpg
  • Kids playing marbles at the market place in Tiom
    Playing marbles.jpg
  • Fish market Biak
    Biak fish market - Pasar Ikan
  • Imported apples
    Supermarkets in Papua.jpg
  • playing games.jpg
  • Dead fish...
    Biak fish market
  • Only remote villages manage to still evade the onslaught of the global market forces.
    Honai.jpg
  • The island of Papua has a tremendous natural wealth (wood, gold, gas, copper etc) which is exported to the rest of the world. All consumer goods are imported from other islands in Indonesia
    Import of goods.jpg
  • Playing football video games is a favourite past time for many young Indonesian men. <br />
<br />
Transmigration is not organised anymore by the government, but everyday people from other islands move to Papua in the hope of making a lot of money fast. Indonesians already outnumber Papuans (51% of the pupulation).
    Video games.jpg
  • Biak
  • Mama-mama market Wamena.jpg
  • Testing facilities are only available in urban areas and most of those who undergo testing do so because they are showing serious signs of reoccurring opportunistic diseases such as tuberculosis, dysentery or pneumonia, meaning that they are already at an advanced stage of the illness. Many people have to walk for days to the closest urban centre to get their monthly stack of ARV medicine. Stigma is also still widespread and many are reluctant to pick up their medicine for fear of others finding out their status. Although ARV medicine is free, other essential medicine such as Cotrimoxazole, used as a treatment of infections before antiretroviral can be administered, is not.
    HIV/AIDS Papua access to medicine.jpg
  • All consumer goods and even some agricultural goods are imported from outside Papua.
    HIV/AIDS in Papua everything is impo...jpg
  • In Timika, a mixed-churches youth organisation leads a participatory workshop with street children. The aim is to raise awareness about STDs and HIV as well as confidence and capacity building. Street children are becoming an important problem all over Papua, and HIV among them also. Organisation working with these children are rare to non-existent in most places.
    HIV/AIDS Papua Street Kids and Educa...jpg
  • Indonesian peddlers set up their pop-up shops along the main shopping street in the highland town of Wamena. Most of the products they sell are meant to increase men’s sexual stamina, size and prowess. Talking openly about condoms and sex is still a problem in most churches and among cultural leaders.
    HIV/AIDS Papua Kondoms and Viagra se...jpg
  • A Yali village three days walk from Wamena.
    Village life.jpg
  • Portrait of a Dani man
    Dani man.jpg
  • Anti-retroviral therapy is available for free. However, there are very few places offering testing and counselling. Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres can only be found in urban centres.
    HIV/AIDS Papua access to medicine.jpg
  • There are currently about 700 street children in Wamena. Sniffing glue is widespread
    Street kids in Wamena.jpg
  • Sexual norms are rapidly evolving in Papua. Previously strong taboos and traditional rules are being eroded by the new values imposed through the Indonesian education system, churches and the influx of Indonesian migrants.
    HIV/AIDS Papua Youth.jpg
  • Most AIDS awareness raising campaigns are developed in offices in Jakarta, far from the cultural and socio-economic reality of Papua. They often replicate initiatives in place in the rest of Indonesia, where HIV is localised and concentrated among intravenous drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men. It would be more useful to look at Papua New Guinea and programmes, which have proved successful there. Kalvari, a church based and locally run clinic in Wamena is one of the rare places which uses cultural references to explain the virus.
    HIV/AIDS Papua awareness raising.jpg
  • Working in the garden. Because of government hand outs of rice, many people have stopped working in their gardens. Especially close to urban centres many gardens lie fallow
    Working in the garden.jpg
  • Traditional Noken making is recognised in 2012 as a Unesco cultural heritage. A noken is a multifunctional woven bag.
    Nokken making.jpg
  • A Dani woman collecting wood for cooking
    Collecting wood.jpg