Apriyantono, Megawati and Bambang: Mass Murderers?

Apriyantono, Megawati and Bambang: Mass Murderers?
By Bali BS News
Oct 30, 2005, 05:41

This is not a nice story, it may end up being the sad prelude article to the death of millions of people worldwide at the hands of a nasty, lying, cheating Indonesian Government; in particular it seems Anton Apriyantono the Agriculture Minister, Megawati Sukarnoputri the former president and Susilo Bambang the current president. It is about how Indonesian and International experts state the Indonesian Government and Authorities are risking a worldwide epidemic of a human-to-human variant of the deadly bird flu H5N1 through what is clearly corruption, of course, and by trying to cover the truth up in the puerile hope the problem will just go away and not affect business.

First let us pay credit and great thanks to an Indonesian hero and Indonesian heroin; microbiologist Professor Chairul A. Nidom, who first detected the virus and has since broken ranks over the outbreak, and Indonesia's former national director of animal health, Tri Satya Putri Naipospos. Former minister? Yes, she was fired the day after she published her statements about how the Indonesian Government had lied and cheated over avian flu in the Indonesian newspaper, Kompas. Her sacking is not good news in itself according to U.N. Officials as they claim without her skills and knowledge the problem will simply spread faster. But of course that apparently does not matter to Anton Apriyantono the Agriculture Minister, it seems he is guilty of that old Indonesian official problem; of being bent and / or stupid to the point of ridicule, yet having such an untenable sense of pride so as not to be able to take criticism or worse, the truth about his treachery against mankind.

First, for those who do not understand the risk of H5N1 and why the world’s health authorities are close to panic, let us explain. H5N1 is a strain of bird flu; that is it passes from bird to bird easily. It is a particularly virulent or potent form of flu which has an enormously high mortality rate. Presently, it can be transmitted to humans if they (the humans) come into close contact with infected birds such as chickens. A few unlucky people have already caught H5N1 from birds and the mortality rate amongst them is alarming, over 50% of people infected with this virus have died. If you want to put this into perspective, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic had a mortality rate of fewer than 5%, yet it killed more people than World War One. There are about 6,500,000,000 people on this planet right now and the WHO estimates up to a third would become infected with H5N1 if it migrates to a human-to-human strain. That is, something like 1,000,000,000 people would likely die from H5N1 if it becomes human influenza.

The battle to stop H5N1 mutating into a human-to-human strain is what requires all the world’s governments to work together to prevent such a deadly occurrence. You see, the more times the virus is allowed to exist in different birds and also infect humans who come into contact with infected animals, the more chance exists H5N1 will be able to evolve or cross breed with a human flu virus; that is adapt itself for human-to-human infection. So wherever and whenever H5N1 is detected in birds, the animals must be destroyed (properly burned, so as to kill the bacteria in the birds’ carcasses) and the area similarly disinfected. Also, governments need to react to outbreaks of the virus and provide transparency about what is going on, so other governments and organizations can make proper educated judgments of what help to give and precautions to take. It seems throughout the Indonesian Government and Authorities however, that they historically do not like being honest about matters they think could adversely affect making money. It seems they simply try to lie and cheat their way out of a situation, hoping it will somehow go away, even though their selfish and reckless actions or rather inactions make matters worse.

So what did one of Indonesia’s seemingly few exceptions to this rule, former national director of animal health Tri Satya Putri Naipospos say a few days ago?

1) Bird flu deaths in Indonesia actually started in the summer of 2003, but “lobbying” (we believe this is the word used by Indonesians who want to avoid being sued for criminal libel to describe “corruption” or “pay-offs” or “bribes”) by the eight Indonesian farming conglomerates which account for 60% of the nation’s poultry, whose owners have personal ties to senior Agriculture Ministry officials (of course), was used to keep this quiet. Ms. Naipospos says that even Megawati Sukarnoputri herself was “lobbied”.

2) The problem actually started in commercial poultry farms, but because of the successful “lobbying campaign” to keep things quiet and to dissuade any action or research, H5N1 was able to spread to free range chickens owned by everyday people. While the government failed to act and even discouraged action, some poor souls have subsequently become infected and died.

3) The Indonesian Government told the world its’ centerpiece strategy was to vaccinate poultry against the virus, but had failed to fund this effort at all this year. So it is claiming to be taking action to the outside world, yet is not.

Professor Chairul A. Nidom, the microbiologist who first identified the virus in the summer of 2003 has also broken ranks with the government; his words indicating they are nothing more then a group of liars and cheats. It was only when Nidom refused to keep quiet any longer and broke the news that Indonesia had H5N1 infections in January 2004 that the Indonesian government then admitted to the world it had the disease, the next day. Nidom also organized a conference into the disease with the world’s experts to be held at Indonesia's Airlangga University, but says it was blocked by senior Indonesian agricultural officials who threatened to have the event broken up by the police if it proceeded! How’s that for transparency and a commitment to the world to help prevent an outbreak of a deadly flu virus that would likely kill a thousand million people?

Professor Nidom also says that H5N1 had spread across Java to Bali and into Sumatra. That’s right, while a certain likely psychotic corrupt police colluding travel agent come email newspaper service editor in Bali by the name of John M. Daniels was repeating the government’s nasty lie or line that there were no reported cases of H5N1 in his personal spin campaign called the “Bali Update” just 2 or 3 weeks ago. The microbiologist professor who was responsible for analyzing samples from across Indonesia says the deadly chicken flu has been present in Bali for over a year! Perhaps none of the cases Professor Nidom analyzed were reported! But that just means the lie is hidden by virtue of further deceit, and is therefore more repugnant. Hmmmm, Jack Daniels, the champion of sales statistics and the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, champions of deceipt and murder, or Professor Nidom; which do you believe?

Indeed, International health experts are warning that Indonesia has grossly underestimated or rather understated the number of H5N1 infections and have lied about the actions they are taking. Of course these disgraceful events will come as no shock to every day Indonesians and Balinese. Over the years they have become used to cases of “Grubug” (deadly illness coming from animals), where the sick are mysteriously carted off and never come back. And how many people around the world could not believe or understand how Indonesia with its terrible health services and prevention, plus its tremendous population movements was able to escape the SARS outbreak? We don’t believe Indonesia did escape SARS. We believe they lied about it and hid the evidence; the unfortunate sick and dying people who contracted it.

It is clear that the Indonesian Government has lied, cheated and covered up the facts regarding H5N1. In particular we believe Anton Apriyantono, Megawati Sukarnoputri and Susilo Bambang should be investigated by an International team for their roles in the events that have already lead to human H5N1 flu deaths, and put on trial for murder if the statements made by Professor Chairul A. Nidom and Tri Satya Putri Naipospos are found to be true and thus incriminate them. It is clear you can not trust the Indonesian Government and Authorities, that they are compulsive liars and how. We just hope the all too typical nature of Indonesian government officers does not end up causing the suffering and death of millions of innocent people worldwide; If the world and mankind does escape catastrophe it will be down to luck rather then due Indonesian diligence and honesty of course. And that it if there are any more human infections in Indonesia we hope it only afflicts those who are responsible.

Again, we say the potential visitor to and / or investor in Bali / Indonesia can not trust the authorities there, nor should they condone their corrupt acts by bringing money into their selfish economy. We say when Indonesia can be trusted, has an honest government and a decent judiciary and police, then and only then should anyone else spend a single cent in their country. For the sake of your own health, wealth, happiness, to help keep H5N1 in Indonesia and to be able to hold your head up high, boycott the country; go to and / or invest in someplace else.

Since writing this article, suspected cases of H5N1 have been reported in Bali, at a market near Denpasar and the Australian Federal Government is warning its citizens not to get caught in outbreak areas.