NAMRU2 Issue

[Shiloh]

Re: Indonesia requests to USA, WHO and Big Pharma

Re: Indonesia requests to USA, WHO and Big Pharma

Source: http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008...2-in-indonesia-awaiting-house-recommendation/
06/19/08 22:17
Further presence of Namru-2 in Indonesia awaiting house recommendation


By Eliswan Azly

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The controversial presence of the US Naval Medical Research Unit 2?s (Namru2) in Indonesia which is now under negotiations between Indonesia and the United States is awaiting a recommendation of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR).

The government`s decision on whether or not the US Naval Medical Research Unit-2 may stay somewhat longer in the country would depend on a recommendation of the House of Representatives (DPR), Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said

"The question is now still undecided. The US has sent us its revised proposal and we have yet to consider it. But the key to this matter is in the hands of the DPR. The DPR represents the people. If the people wants NAMRU-2 to stay somewhat longer, so be it," Health Minister Siti Fadilah said during a hearing with Ad Hoc Committee IV of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) in Jakarta on Thursday.

But even if the government and parliament eventually agreed to continue the cooperation with NAMRU-2, it should be carried out on the basis of the relevant Indonesian laws on international cooperation, she said.

"And it is my understanding that Indonesia always cooperates with other countries with due observance of its active and independent foreign policy, its own laws and in ways benefiting the people," Siti said.

The government not long ago expressed its intention to renew its agreement with Washington on NAMRU-2`s presence and operations in Indonesia.

The draft of the new agreement was sent to the US government which had sent it back to Indonesia last May. The Indonesian government is to discuss the returned draft internally before making a decision regarding the matter.

Various quarters in the country recently questioned the continued presence and operations of NAMRU-2 in Indonesia, including the US demand for diplomatic immunity for US citizens working at the NAMRU-2 laboratory for research on tropical diseases.

The opposition came from legislators and professionals in the country.

Mutammimul Ula, a member of the House of Representatives` Commission I which deals with foreign affairs, urged the government to stop and take over the operation of the Namru-2 laboratory. In the 30 years of operation in Indonesia, Namru-2 failed to provide the country with concrete results for the defense and health sectors.

Other legislators, according to him, agreed to the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) released by the Foreign Ministry to be cancelled.

Indonesia has established cooperation with various institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) on research and data transfer. It is for that reason that an extension of cooperation with Namru-2 is no longer necessary.

Furthermore, he said the government should conduct an investigation on an allegation that Namru-2 staffers had been involved in intelligence operations. "In addition, the US embassy in Jakarta should provide evidence that Namru-2 is not an institution engaged in espionage."

This legislator however believed that the cooperation needs to be based on transparency and equality and respect for sovereignty and mutual benefit.

Not only the legislator, Joserizal Junalis of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) and Munarman of An Nashr Institute also called on the government of Indonesia not to extend its cooperation with the US Naval Medical Research Institute.

In their statements, the presence of Namru-2 in Indonesia for over 30 years now was reported to have failed to benefit the people. An agreement between the Indonesian and US governments on Namru-2 operations reached on January 16, 1970, was believed to have caused a loss to Indonesia because of the diplomatic immunity of the Namru-2 staff members, their tax exemption and free accommodation.

Namru-2 was also believed to have violated the cooperation, because they had been continuing their research work although their contract had expired.

More saddening, Namru-2 was also reported to be lacking in transparency their information for the Indonesian government and that their operations were allegedly linked to US intelligence operations in Indonesia.

In the meantime, the US embassy in Jakarta said that Namru-2 was a transparent organization which only conducted medical and scientific research work focusing on tropical diseases.

The biomedical research laboratory of Namru-2, according to the US embassy, conducted a series of research work on infectious diseases to serve the interest of the US and Indonesian health ministry as well as the health of the international community.

Commenting on the diplomatic immunity of all NAMRU-2 staff members which has become a controversial issue, Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said that the Indonesian government persisted in granting diplomatic immunity to only two US Namru-2 staff members.

"We are sticking to our stance that not all of Namru-2 officers deserved diplomatic immunity, but only two of the 20 US naval officers with Namru-2," he said.

Besides restricting the number of Namru-2 staff enjoying diplomatic immunity, Indonesia also insisted that doctors of the Indonesian Navy be assigned in Namru-2 as supervisors, he said.

The need to assign Indonesian supervisors was prompted by the fact that so far the activities carried out by Namru-2 officers lacked transparency.

"We want Indonesian naval officers to be involved in the activities of NAMRU-2," the minister said.

Indonesia and the United States are still negotiating several points on the resumption of their cooperation on Namru-2.

The search work of NAMRU-2 was more focused on malaria, virus-related diseases and other infectious diseases including bird flu. (*)

COPYRIGHT ? 2008

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

?Menkes? is short for Minister of Health. "TNI" is the army.

Today important meeting on the future of Namru II in Indonesia.

Menkes: Namru 2 Co-operation Should Stop

Wed , June 25 2008

Jakarta ? ?Co-operation with Namru 2 it was thought did not bring the benefit to Indonesia. The Namru co-operation 2 ought to be stopped.
According to me ought to be stopped. Stop?, stressed Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari before the working meeting with the Commission of I People's Representative Council about Namru 2, in the People's Representative Council Building, Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (25 -6 - 2008).

According to Menkes, the refusal reason was the sovereignty of the nation that is a country that inside resided the foreign military agency, with the unclear rule, it was thought touched on the sovereignty of the nation.

There was no reason.His reason the sovereignty.
If the sovereign country, afterwards in his country had a military that his rule was unclear, that could have sovereignty.

Whatever the reason, his existence touched on the sovereignty of the nation, revealed Menkes. What Ms has seen the draft of his agreement?
I did not see the draft. Did not see what what, said Menkes.

In the meantime the Minister Of Defence Juwono Sudarsono said will discuss interdepartmental about the extension of the co-operation with Namru 2.

Including about the increase request in diplomatic immunity of his researchers. Later would we will discuss.
Must we rapatkan previously with the other technical department.
Especially the Department of Health.

Because of his problem, there were 2 elements, medical his field of Menkes, and the problem of the Navy his field of Dephan and the TNI Headquarters, said Juwono.

In the meantime Komisi I People's Representative Council Yusron Ihza Mahendra Vice Chairman said the I Commission called 4 ministers and the TNI Commander to get the picture about Namru 2.
We did this to receive input that more in against Namru.

With the aim, got the picture that was bigger about what of Namru.
Although was not the suspicion again in the middle middle the community, said Yusron.

The working meeting was begun struck 10 35 WIB and was led by Komisi I People's Representative Council Theo Chairman L Sambuaga.

This working meeting discussed continuation fate of the Namru laboratory 2 under Al United States (the USA).

Apart from Menkes and the Minister Of Defence, also were present the Minister Of State For Research And Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman and the TNI Commander General TNI Djoko Santoso.

Source: detikcom

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

The TNI General says what the army always says and does in Indonesia:
"we want to be involved".

TNI Requests to be Involved in Handling Namru

Jakarta Mabes TNI asked to be involved in the Namru program 2.
The TNI gave because of Namru a mark of 2 was under Al USA, then the co-operation was more appropriate was undertaken with the fellow military.
Uptil now his co-operation was not more balanced.

US Navy as the military had two capacities as the Navy and the researcher, whereas the Department of Health as civil had the capacity as the researcher, said the TNI Commander General Djoko Santoso when attending the Working Meeting about Namru 2 by the I Commission in the Building People's Representative Council RI, Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (25 - 6 -2008).

Djoko also explained the TNI pushed the achievement of the new agreement the Namru matter 2.

However the security and the national defence must become main consideration.

The observation territory must clear, the flow of the ins and outs traffic must be also controlled, and the frequency of radio must be registered, he explained.

As the TNI addition also asked for information access measuring the width about any that were done by Namru 2.

The TNI admitted to since 1996, there is no information anything that entered the TNI Headquarters.

Must have information access towards the Namru activity 2.
Not only information take the form of fotocopy, he stressed.

source: detikcom

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

06/25/08

Namru-2 is of no benefit to Indonesia, outspoken minister says


Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari refused to respond to written questions posed by the House of Representatives` Commission I to her on the presence of the US Navy`s medical laboratory Namru-2 in Indonesia.

"To me, nothing needs to be explained because the presence of Namru-2 is obviously of no benefit to Indonesia," the minister said in a working meeting with the House`s Commission I here on Wednesday.

In the meeting led by Commission I Chairman Theo L Sambuaga, Minister Supari said she was very disappointed about a visit House Commission I members had made to the Namru-2 laboratory last Wednesday (June 18).

The visit was useless because Namru-2 had done nothing in the interest of research in Indonesia, she said.

"The Namru-2 laboratory is not any better than our own laboratories such as the Eijkman Laboratory in Bandung. Why didn`t Commission I visit our own laboratories which are of clear benefit to the country?" she said.

Minister Supari said the health ministry`s Health Research and Development Center had gained nothing from Indonesia`s cooperation with Namru-2.

"We only got small research jobs, while when we asked cooperation in tuberculosis (TBC) research, they refused because they did not have any interest in it," she said.

Namru-2, according to her, only carried out research in the interest of the US military, not of Indonesia , under a cooperation agreement signed in 1970.

She said there was no equality in status in the cooperation which, in fact, clearly did not respect Indonesia`s sovereignty.

Therefore, the presence of Namru-2 in Indonesia must be reconsidered, she said.

Meanwhile, Theo Sambuaga said on the occasion he could understand the minister`s stance not to respond to the Commission I`s written questions but a number of legislators had insisted that the minister`s responses were needed as references to decide whether or not the cooperation with Namru-2 would be continued.

Some other ministers attending the working meeting included Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono, Research and Technology Minister Kusmayanto Kadiman, and Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Chief General Djoko Santoso. (*)

http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008...benefit-to-indonesia-outspoken-minister-says/

 

[Commonground]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

Matter discussions namru-2 Difficult

Discussions were interrupted not him the Department's co-operation of the Health with the research agency Namru-2 by the member the Commission of I People's Representative Council in the People's Representative Council Building/People's Consultative Assembly, on Wednesday (25/6) took place difficult.
Some members agreed with the decision of Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari to disperse the research agency belonging to this US Navy.
Now that was other chose the option continued to permit the existence of this agency with the contents note of talks between the two necessary agencies diperbaruhi significantly.
This was needed so that the existence NAMRU-2 only did not benefit the United States side.
That the meeting point lack among the member the Commission of this I People's Representative Council made Chairman Komisi I that also became the management of Theo's meeting L Sambuaga broke to menskor the session while being waiting for Menkes that beforehand permission prayed.

http://www.kompas.com/read/xml/2008/06/25/17184286/pembahasan.soal.namru-2.alot

 

[gsgs]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

you won't decide whether to "disperse" it or not at this point in the
negotiations.

you would rather decide, what conditions, what requirements
to insist on.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

Ministers want Namru-2 shut down


Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari couldn't have been louder when she shouted "No" to the extension of the agreement with the United States Naval Medical Research Unit 2 (Namru-2) at a hearing with lawmakers here on Wednesday.

However, she was puzzled when asked how the President really felt about it. "I've told the President the lab's useless, the cooperation degrades our sovereignty and it should be shut down. He told me to shut it if I think it's no use. But I can't say about his conversations with other people."

The House of Representatives' Commission I overseeing defense, information and foreign affairs heard Wednesday from related ministries on Namru-2's operations in Indonesia.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda had said Monday that Indonesia and the United States, which says the lab does not do intelligence work and is helpful to Indonesia's health sector, would start talks on its status next month, amid widespread calls for its closure.

Siti wasn't out on a limb in calling for closure.

Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said at the hearing that his ministry recommended the lab should be shut due to lack of transparency and because its presence was not in the national interest.

Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Djoko Santoso said the lab, which was started in 1970, had not handed in any reports on its activities to the TNI since 1996.

"If this agreement is to continue, the military wants to see conditions imposed. For instance, traveling researchers must go through clearance, and they need to register and operate with lines of accountability that we can monitor," Djoko said.

Namru-2 is a facility under the United States navy, but its counterpart is the Health Ministry.

The military says the U.S. has turned Namru-2 from a local unit into a regional command facility that handles research work in various countries, thus making monitoring difficult.

While State Minister for Research and Technology Koesmayanto Kadiman didn't specify opposition to the lab, he did list Indonesian labs that were internationally recognized and even superior to Namru-2 in some respects.

Calls for Namru-2 to close have been made since the 1990s.

There was a call to end the establishing agreement in a letter from then foreign minister Alwi Shihab in January 2000. But two months later, then president Abdurrahman Wahid agreed to resume talks for a new agreement, which has yet to materialize.

Although the establishment agreement expired in 2005, the present position apparently is that Namru-2 can continue to operate until a new agreement is reached on its status.

These collective reservations about Namru-2 left a number of House members confused, wondering if the President was being indecisive about the continuing operation of Namru-2.

"I'm trying to see the logic here. If the Health Ministry, the counterpart and the end-user, strongly believes Namru-2 is useless to Indonesia, then why is the government working on renewing the agreement?" lawmaker Yusron Ihza Mahendra said.

Lawmaker Jeffrey Massie said, "Where's the President on this issue? Why hasn't he actually made up his mind if the Health Ministry is here today, insisting that Namru-2 must be shut?"

http://old.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20080626.H05&irec=4

 

[gsgs]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

> If this agreement is to continue, the military wants to see conditions imposed.

sure. Negotiate on the conditions

> I'm trying to see the logic here. If the Health Ministry, the counterpart and the end-user,
> strongly believes Namru-2 is useless to Indonesia,

if it thinks so, then why can't it formulate the reasons ? Why doesn't it formulate
its conditions for continuation instead of requiring it to be shut down ?

> then why is the government working
> on renewing the agreement?" lawmaker Yusron Ihza Mahendra said.

it can't harm. If the work on renewing fails, they can still close it, so what ?
Negotiation can't be a mistake.

> Lawmaker Jeffrey Massie said, "Where's the President on this issue? Why hasn't he actually
> made up his mind if the Health Ministry is here today, insisting that Namru-2 must be shut?"

maybe the health minister is somehow biased ?
Why is it important to hurry on this issue ?

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

06/27/08

TNI chief suggests govt renegotiate NAMRU-2


Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - National Defense Forces (TNI) Chief Gen Djoko Santoso has suggested that the Indonesian government renegotiate its cooperation with the US Naval Medical Research Unit-2 (NAMRU-2).
Speaking to the press after attending a function marking the swearing-in of constitutional judges at the State Palace here on Thursday, Santoso said the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) was ready to get involved in the cooperation if requested.

"As NAMRU also employs naval officers there must be two types of expertise, namely research and military expertise. My suggestion is that if the cooperation is to be revised there must be TNI AL officers employed there," he said.

It was the government which had the authority to renegotiate or stop the cooperation, he said.

The TNI was only in the position to give inputs as it did at a hearing with the information, defense and foreign affairs commission at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday, he said.

If the government eventually decided to renegotiate the cooperation, it must pay attention to a number of things, including diplomatic immunity of US personnel working for the NAMRU-2 laboratory, he said.

He feared if the government continued the cooperation without amending the cooperation agreement, it would find it hard to control the NAMRU-2`s operations in the country.

The TNI chief suggested that the NAMRU-2 laboratory which is located on Jl Percetakan Negara No 29 in Central Jakarta be removed.

"The current location of the NAMRU-2 laboratory must be reviewed so its presence will not harm our interests," he said.

Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said earlier Indonesia would seek equality in its cooperation with the NAMRU-2 if the relevant cooperation agreement was to be extended.

"If within a certain period of time we are not assured of equality (with the US), we had better stop the cooperation," Sudarsono said on the sidelines of a seminar on Indonesia`s borders here Thursday.

The two sides, he said, should renegotiate the cooperation so that it would also bring benefit to Indonesia.

"NAMRU-2`s operations undoubtedly are useful but the question is useful to whom. So it must be renegotiated. If the cooperation agreement is to be extended, the cooperation should be between NAMRU-2 and the Indonesian Navy," he said.

Among the issues that should be reviewed in the cooperation were the benefits of NAMRU-2 for both parties and the security aspect of its laboratory.

"The laboratory is located in a densely-populated area (in Jakarta), so great risks are involved, especially if viruses have to be moved within a radius of 500 kilometers from the laboratory," he added.

The cooperation, he continued, must be based on mutually agreed terms on four aspects, namely the security, political, legal and technical security aspects. "The technical security aspect should come under the authority of our scientists, either from the health ministry, defense ministry or the military." (*)

http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/6/27/tni-chief-suggests-govt-renegotiate-namru-2/

 

[gsgs]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

>As NAMRU also employs naval officers there must be two types of expertise,
>namely research and military expertise. My suggestion is that if the cooperation
>is to be revised there must be TNI AL officers employed there

Indonesian logic...

Maybe USA better put it under the auspices of HHS rather than the Navy,DOD


> The laboratory is located in a densely-populated area (in Jakarta), so great risks are involved,
> especially if viruses have to be moved within a radius of 500 kilometers from the laboratory

500 meters ?
Java is densely populated, so there is no safe place. Safety must be assured by bio-security.



I get the impression that there are some other aspects involved, which mustn't be
named/discussed in public ?!?

 

[Commonground]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

hat-tip Treyfish

03/07/08 21:06

The minister of state for research and technology the Recommendation Freeze Namru-2 Then for the Baru Agreement

Jakarta (Antara News) - the Ministry of Research And Technology recommended the research co-operation and the USA in the medical project of the research unit of the US Navy (Naval Medical Research Unit Two (Namru-2), was frozen, then was made new by the agreement with the principle of the partnership that was equal.
"Truly, we have had the capacity to have the Namru research agency of the same class," said the Minister Of State For Research And Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman answered the question in the Working Meeting with the Commission of VII People's Representative Council in Jakarta, on Thursday.
From the side of human resources, he said, Indonesia has had the capacity, now the matter of research facilities that were needed that is that met the condition biosafety the level free, Indonesia has also had three units and will be increased two more in the Department of Health and Deptan.
The choice took the form of the "previous freezing was made new by the agreement" this was the second choice between three choices that were offered that is, the first choice, stopped the total and the choice of the three roads continued with the partnership to be equal.
However, he warned, Namru-2 was formed on January 16 1970 when Indonesia did not yet have research facilities as well as the good human resources capacity, his formation also at the request of the Department of Health during 1968.
In this co-operation agreement, continued he, was named that Namru-2 will continue to continue until had the side that asked the co-operation to be stopped, but the request must be proposed 60 days before the freezing.
"But now did not yet have the side that ask for."
According to him, the co-operation was carried out because Indonesia wanted the good international partnership.
"Although the co-operation was fortunate him also our origin was also clever, they had facilities that could be used as well as the experience that more that could be distributed to us," he said and added that the USA must have been benefitted with the project Namru-2 because the USA did not have the condition for tropical nature that could be made the location of his research.
The ministry of Research And Technology personally did not have the direct co-operation with Namru-2 because the co-operation was carried out through the Eijkman Agency.
In the research together this the researcher Eijkman and Namru-2 worked to their respective lab without having the exchange of the researcher and results of his research was published together to the scientific magazine international.
The topic of the research co-operation revolve about.. http://www.antara.co.id/arc/2008/7/...si-bekukan-namru-2-lalu-buat-perjanjian-baru/

 

[gsgs]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

sounds reasonable. They can still close it, if they later think
they should.

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

Indonesia seeks to shut Navy lab researching avian flu

Politicians say the U.S. facility doesn't benefit Indonesia and could be a cover for spying. The move may undermine the hunt for mutating viruses that could set off a pandemic, scientists warn.

By Paul Watson, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 5, 2008

JAKARTA, INDONESIA --

Threats to shut down a U.S. Navy medical research lab here may undermine the hunt for mutating viruses that could set off the next flu pandemic, Western scientists warn.

Indonesia suspended negotiations with the United States over the fate of Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 last month after senior politicians said it didn't benefit Indonesia and could be a cover for spying.

The U.S. Embassy firmly denied that the facility is used to gather intelligence, and said most of the lab's staff members are Indonesians helping with research carried out in cooperation with local health officials.

The biomedical research lab opened in Jakarta in 1970 and is used to study tropical diseases, including malaria, dengue fever and avian flu, according to an embassy fact sheet.

It has a staff of about 175 scientists, doctors, veterinarians and technologists; only 19 are Americans and the rest are Indonesians.

The Navy also has research labs in Egypt, Kenya, Peru and Thailand.

Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said last month that his ministry recommended that the lab be closed because its operations were too secretive and were incompatible with Indonesia's security interests.

Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari also said she had recommended to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that it be closed.

"I've told the president the lab's useless, the cooperation degrades our sovereignty and it should be shut down," Supari told members of parliament last month. "He told me to shut it if I think it's [of] no use."

Negotiations on the lab would resume as early as this month, the Foreign Ministry said, once the country had a "unified stand" on the issue. But U.S. Embassy spokesman Tristram Perry said he was not aware of any date for talks to resume.

U.S. officials say privately that the dispute is part of a bigger argument over sharing virus samples, including strains of the avian flu, which the World Health Organization warns could set off a pandemic.

Before Indonesia announced in January 2007 that it would no longer share samples with other countries, the U.S. naval lab did research on normal flu viruses from seasonal outbreaks as well as bird flu cases treated in Indonesian hospitals.

"Sometimes you test a virus and you don't know if it's avian influenza, or normal flu or something completely different," said a Western scientist who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

Now those viruses appear not to be going anywhere for testing, the scientist said, adding that Indonesian labs cannot do the sophisticated research the Americans can do.

"Nobody knows what they are," she added. "Maybe there could be a pandemic from a different, new strain."

In its current form, the avian flu spreads from birds, usually poultry, to humans, but the infection rate is low. Indonesia leads the world in bird flu deaths with at least 110 confirmed since 2005, according to WHO. The virus kills 81% of its victims in Indonesia, the agency's figures show.

A second Western scientist said that Indonesia has many strains of the avian flu virus, and that without constant research, a different strain more easily transmitted to humans could catch scientists off guard, and spread rapidly before a vaccine is ready.

"Many groups have tried to bring in scientists to work in the [Indonesian] labs, and there's been resistance to that," the second scientist said. "There's a very nationalist spirit here."

After announcing the ban on virus-sharing, the health minister, who is a cardiologist, published a book in which she warned that any viruses shared with other countries could be turned into biological weapons.

She also recounted a meeting in Geneva with John E. Lange, the U.S. special representative for pandemic flu, in which she told him, "It is not impossible that there will be a group of people in developed countries insane enough to reengineer the viruses to create an outbreak in the Third World."

Her book, widely sold in English and Bahasa Indonesia editions, also said the pressure to share viruses was an example of exploitation of developing countries' natural resources.

"They also exploited part of the human body from the people of the powerless countries," the health minister wrote. "They took our blood. They took our cells. They took our antibodies.
"And perhaps it would be more dangerous when, in the end they would take our brain cells as well, to be reengineered to create a new generation of slaves."

Early this year, she insisted that the move to stop virus-sharing was necessary to protect poor nations from profiteering drug companies.

Indonesia says it fears that vaccines developed from local viruses will go to foreigners first, leaving Indonesians without protection or profit.

In March, Supari pledged to resume sharing, but only with WHO researchers. Supari said she won assurances that no vaccine would be developed from the Indonesian samples without the country's consent. The organization said it would work out details of an agreement in negotiations.

Since virus-sharing was stopped, Indonesia has confirmed that 52 more people have come down with bird flu. The Health Ministry gave foreign researchers virus samples from only six of those cases, the first Western scientist said.

Indonesia's hard line against cooperation also affects research on regular flu strains, which kill 250,000 to 500,000 people worldwide annually.

Most of those outbreaks start in Southeast Asia, British scientists Derek Smith and Colin Russell reported in a study published this year. That makes it crucial for U.S. researchers to keep working here, the Western scientists said.
-
paul.watson@latimes.com
-
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-virus5-2008jul05,0,2146766.story
-----

 

[gsgs]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

spying = virus theft ?

they are unable to prevent the feared spying by suitable countermeasures,
conditions, negotiations ? Is it credible ?

require less NAMRU2-secretivity, more compatibility with Indonesia's security (=secretivity ?) interests,
but don't just close it. Then it's up to USA to refuse the conditions.

> Her book, widely sold in English

I haven't seen any English edition. Who sold it ?

 

[tropical]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

#186:
"In March, Supari pledged to resume sharing, but only with WHO researchers. Supari said she won assurances that no vaccine would be developed from the Indonesian samples without the country's consent. The organization said it would work out details of an agreement in negotiations."

 

[gsgs]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

they could share the 3rd codon-positions or segments other than HA,
which can't be used for vaccine.
These could still be used to track the evolution and
spread of the strains.

They don't even comment on this - nor does seemingly anyone else
(except me) want to discuss this possibility. Why ?

There are obviously some other reasons involved which they don't
like to be discussed.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-virus5-2008jul05,0,2039888.story

Indonesia seeks to shut Navy lab researching avian flu

Politicians say the U.S. facility doesn't benefit Indonesia and could be a cover for spying. The move may undermine the hunt for mutating viruses that could set off a pandemic, scientists warn.

By Paul Watson, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 5, 2008
JAKARTA, INDONESIA -- Threats to shut down a U.S. Navy medical research lab here may undermine the hunt for mutating viruses that could set off the next flu pandemic, Western scientists warn.

Indonesia suspended negotiations with the United States over the fate of Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 last month after senior politicians said it didn't benefit Indonesia and could be a cover for spying.

The U.S. Embassy firmly denied that the facility is used to gather intelligence, and said most of the lab's staff members are Indonesians helping with research carried out in cooperation with local health officials.

The biomedical research lab opened in Jakarta in 1970 and is used to study tropical diseases, including malaria, dengue fever and avian flu, according to an embassy fact sheet.

It has a staff of about 175 scientists, doctors, veterinarians and technologists; only 19 are Americans and the rest are Indonesians. The Navy also has research labs in Egypt, Kenya, Peru and Thailand.

Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said last month that his ministry recommended that the lab be closed because its operations were too secretive and were incompatible with Indonesia's security interests. Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari also said she had recommended to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that it be closed.

"I've told the president the lab's useless, the cooperation degrades our sovereignty and it should be shut down," Supari told members of parliament last month. "He told me to shut it if I think it's [of] no use."

Negotiations on the lab would resume as early as this month, the Foreign Ministry said, once the country had a "unified stand" on the issue. But U.S. Embassy spokesman Tristram Perry said he was not aware of any date for talks to resume.

U.S. officials say privately that the dispute is part of a bigger argument over sharing virus samples, including strains of the avian flu, which the World Health Organization warns could set off a pandemic.

Before Indonesia announced in January 2007 that it would no longer share samples with other countries, the U.S. naval lab did research on normal flu viruses from seasonal outbreaks as well as bird flu cases treated in Indonesian hospitals.

"Sometimes you test a virus and you don't know if it's avian influenza, or normal flu or something completely different," said a Western scientist who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

Now those viruses appear not to be going anywhere for testing, the scientist said, adding that Indonesian labs cannot do the sophisticated research the Americans can do.

"Nobody knows what they are," she added. "Maybe there could be a pandemic from a different, new strain."

In its current form, the avian flu spreads from birds, usually poultry, to humans, but the infection rate is low. Indonesia leads the world in bird flu deaths with at least 110 confirmed since 2005, according to WHO. The virus kills 81% of its victims in Indonesia, the agency's figures show.

A second Western scientist said that Indonesia has many strains of the avian flu virus, and that without constant research, a different strain more easily transmitted to humans could catch scientists off guard, and spread rapidly before a vaccine is ready.

"Many groups have tried to bring in scientists to work in the [Indonesian] labs, and there's been resistance to that," the second scientist said. "There's a very nationalist spirit here."

After announcing the ban on virus-sharing, the health minister, who is a cardiologist, published a book in which she warned that any viruses shared with other countries could be turned into biological weapons.

She also recounted a meeting in Geneva with John E. Lange, the U.S. special representative for pandemic flu, in which she told him, "It is not impossible that there will be a group of people in developed countries insane enough to reengineer the viruses to create an outbreak in the Third World."

Her book, widely sold in English and Bahasa Indonesia editions, also said the pressure to share viruses was an example of exploitation of developing countries' natural resources.

"They also exploited part of the human body from the people of the powerless countries," the health minister wrote. "They took our blood. They took our cells. They took our antibodies.

"And perhaps it would be more dangerous when, in the end they would take our brain cells as well, to be reengineered to create a new generation of slaves."

Early this year, she insisted that the move to stop virus-sharing was necessary to protect poor nations from profiteering drug companies. Indonesia says it fears that vaccines developed from local viruses will go to foreigners first, leaving Indonesians without protection or profit.

In March, Supari pledged to resume sharing, but only with WHO researchers. Supari said she won assurances that no vaccine would be developed from the Indonesian samples without the country's consent. The organization said it would work out details of an agreement in negotiations.

Since virus-sharing was stopped, Indonesia has confirmed that 52 more people have come down with bird flu. The Health Ministry gave foreign researchers virus samples from only six of those cases, the first Western scientist said.

Indonesia's hard line against cooperation also affects research on regular flu strains, which kill 250,000 to 500,000 people worldwide annually.

Most of those outbreaks start in Southeast Asia, British scientists Derek Smith and Colin Russell reported in a study published this year. That makes it crucial for U.S. researchers to keep working here, the Western scientists said.

paul.watson@latimes.com

 

[gsgs]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

> U.S. officials say privately that the dispute is part of a bigger argument

... if the true reasons are secret,
why should we read all these reports then ?
How could we make up our opinion ?

Should we believe in one side or the other just because we had happened
to be born in one country or the other ?

 

[yielddude]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

re:Since virus-sharing was stopped, Indonesia has confirmed that 52 more people have come down with bird flu. The Health Ministry gave foreign researchers virus samples from only six of those cases, the first Western scientist said.

Thought this sounded like a lot. For those keeping track, does this jibe with what you've been seeing/reading?

 

[Laidback Al]

Re: NAMRU2 Issue

re:Since virus-sharing was stopped, Indonesia has confirmed that 52 more people have come down with bird flu. The Health Ministry gave foreign researchers virus samples from only six of those cases, the first Western scientist said.

Thought this sounded like a lot. For those keeping track, does this jibe with what you've been seeing/reading?

Of the 135 confirmed human cases in Indonesia, samples from approximately 42 of them have been made publically available. I believe the last human sample publically released from Indonesia was (A/Indonesia/CDC1047/2007(H5N1)) collected from Zulfa (Zuraini?) from Mampang, Southern Jakarta. This 27 year woman died on the 12th of January, 2007.