Ary Hermawan, Denpasar – In a radical move, Bali Deputy Governor Alit Kesuma Kelakan has suggested establishing a red-light district on the island as a way to control prostitution.

The suggestion was made following reports that more than half of the island's HIV/AIDS patients were infected with the virus through sexual contact.

"I think we shouldn't just make a partial effort to deal with prostitution. The problem is we often cannot identify prostitutes as they work individually on the streets and can conceal their profession easily," he told reporters at a seminar on HIV/AIDS at Wisma Sabha Hall.

He said the administration should find a way to deal with prostitution on the island to stop the spread of the deadly disease.

"I know such an idea will spark controversy, especially among religious leaders. For that reason, I would like to gather religious leaders, village heads and the administration to discuss the problem. We must come up with a solution," said the deputy governor, who also heads the Bali chapter of the National AIDS Commission (KPAD).

Although sex tourism has never been one of Bali's trademarks, sex workers can often be found on the island's streets as the tourist island provides a lucrative market for the business.

Prostitutes, who generally work on a freelance basis, have contributed significantly to positioning Bali among the country's top five provinces in terms of HIV/AIDS cases. The KPAD Bali reported that 2,693 people, or 66 percent of HIV/AIDS patients on the island, had been infected though sexual contact.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Kerthi Praja Foundation -a Bali-based NGO that works with prostitutes – found that 14 percent of about 6,000 sex workers in the province were living with HIV/AIDS.

"The number of HIV/AIDS infections caused by sexual contact has increased significantly in recent years. I dare say there has been a significant shift from injection-related transmission," the foundation's chairman, Prof. DN Wirawan, told The Jakarta Post.

The Needle Exchange Program (NEP) and Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) pilot projects were considered successful in curtailing the spread of HIV/AIDS among drug addicts in Bali. However, efforts to curtail the spread of the disease through prostitution on the island have been minimal and largely unsuccessful.

He said prostitution had long been a problem on the island. The Balinese people are aware that prostitution is rife in the province due to its tourism-based economy, but a systematic effort to address the problem has never been made.

"Prostitutes in one area would be easier to control, and we would be able to prevent them from engaging in unsafe sexual activities.

"However, socially and politically speaking, the establishment of a formal red-light district would be almost impossible. I doubt it could happen in Bali," Wirawan said. He added that sex workers in Bali are no longer concentrated in certain areas.

Former Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin, defying protests from residents, is the only governor to have ever established a special red-light district. The area, in Kramat Tunggak, North Jakarta, has now become an Islamic center. He also encouraged the development of night clubs and casinos to boost provincial revenue.

"Strong leadership would be needed to carry out such a policy," Wirawan said.

However, he said the idea was worth consideration. Neighboring countries such as Thailand and Cambodia have not legalized prostitution, but protect and regulate the industry, he said. "What we need is recognition, not legalization or localization," he said.

I Made Arjaya, a local legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the creation of a special red-light district was not the only way to eradicate HIV/AIDS.

"I agree that we should provide a place where sex workers can be treated and educated, but not where they can be sold," he said. The council would not back such a proposal as it would counter the development principles of the predominately Hindu province, he said.

Nationwide it is estimated between 170,000 and 210,000 people live with HIV/AIDS, most of whom are injecting drug users.