Indonesia

As my other half is in Indonesia this week I thought I might do some research about the country. It's primarily known here for being Muslim, having a high proportion of the world's cases of avian 'flu and for being the starting point for the deep sea earthquake that triggered the 2004 tsunami killing more than 131,000 in Indonesia alone in 2004

It's the fourth most populous nation in the world and, as is the sad case in many developing nations, is blighted with a yearly rise in new cases of HIV. According to official reports there are a quarter of a million cases of HIV recorded, but it is estimated that the real figure is more like half a million. The country suffers in this respect from a cultural Asian unwillingness to talk about sex and also from its strong Muslim culture (which parallels many Christian African nations reluctance to confront the issue).

Other half reports that he has never seen so many prostitutes working in the cities, in the hotels and on the roadside - and he grew up in various sub-Saharan impoverished countries so he's not green by any means. However, with this liberal attitude to the sex trade comes a sadly typical hypcritical religious line - Muslim clerics are generally opposed to the use of condoms and surveys reveal that only 15% of sex workers use them. There is also widespread intravenous drug use which is contributing to the spread of the disease.

Over the last year the government has pledge to set up AIDS awareness campaigns and centres for HIV infected individuals. Since the Tsunami, Indonesia has been more visible to the world so perhaps this is why the change has come.

Indonesia has some of the world's most diverse flora and fauna. Some of you may have seen its colourful reefs on the BBC's Planet Earth. It has some of the most lush rainforest which is, surprise surprise, being cut down each year by illegal loggers. Other half is shooting a doc for the BBC about software that can track illegally logged wood and lead to the culprits. He missed Bush's visit by a day, unfortunately. George was there for a caring, sharing photo-op but also to get his arm in as Indonesia has just signed energy contracts with both Japan and Russia. The U.S. are scared stiff it might become a China super-state beyond their control - and it's a Muslim one too!

The visit was widely protested against both by Indonesians and by U.S human rights groups who want Bush to withhold sales of weapons the Indonesian military in light of serious human rights abuses. Weapons sales to the Indonesian military (who exist pretty much independently from the government) had been legislated against until 2005 when the final blocks were waived.

As Indonesia is one of the few countries left the U.S. can sell arms to without then going to war against them or being condemned worldwide, I don't think those ties are going to be broken anytime soon.

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