Indonesian state to monitor AIDS patients with microchips

This is beyond disturbing: Lawmakers in Indonesia’s remote province of Papua have thrown their support behind a controversial bill requiring some HIV/AIDS patients to be implanted with microchips — part of extreme efforts to monitor the disease. Health workers and rights activists sharply criticized the plan Monday. But legislator John Manangsang said by implanting small ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.

This is beyond disturbing:

This is beyond disturbing:

Lawmakers in Indonesia’s remote province of Papua have thrown their support behind a controversial bill requiring some HIV/AIDS patients to be implanted with microchips — part of extreme efforts to monitor the disease.

Health workers and rights activists sharply criticized the plan Monday.

But legislator John Manangsang said by implanting small computer chips beneath the skin of ”sexually aggressive” patients, authorities would be in a better position to identify, track and ultimately punish those who deliberately infect others with up to six months in jail or a $5,000 fine.

The idea of implanting anyone with a microchip against their will is bad enough, but I can only imagine the possibilities for abuse on a government panel tasked with deciding which patients are “sexually aggressive” enough to qualify.

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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