Indonesia's Papua province may be the first region in the world to force some HIV/AIDS patients to be implanted with microchip trackers. A controversial bill requiring the extreme measures already has full backing from the provincial parliament and will become law with a majority vote from the provincial legislative body. The microchips are meant to monitor "aggressive" sexual behavior in an effort to control the spread of the disease. Lawmaker John Manangsang said,
"It's a simple technology. A signal from the microchip will track their movements and this will be received by monitoring authorities" [Reuters].
The bill does not specify who would qualify as "sexually aggressive" patients, but if the bill is passed, a committee will be formed to decide who will be implanted; the executive director of the committee will be a physician with a knowledge of epidemiology. Supporters say
authorities would be in a better position to identify, ...
