A group of orphans have been rejected by an Indonesian community because they have HIV.

The orphans are in temporary accommodation in the city of Solo after local community leaders voted to stop their orphanage moving to a new address.

"They're scared of infections," said Yunus Prasetyo, from the charity Lentera that is caring for the children.

The charity arranged for health workers to explain to the community that HIV was not spread by close contact with the children.

"We couldn't understand because the doctor had explained to them. Who else would they believe if they don't believe the doctor?" he said.

Four-year-old Yoseph has HIV. ( ABC News: Adam Harvey )

The treatment of the children, who are aged between one and 12, highlights a major problem in Indonesia — widespread prejudice against those with the HIV virus.

"Apart from them being scared of getting infected by HIV, the stigma, the discrimination lies in where this disease came from," Prasetyo said.

"So the prejudice is on the sex workers, gay community, transsexual community, or the customers of sex workers, or drugs users."

The Solo orphans contracted HIV from their mothers at birth and their extended families refused to care for them after their parents died.

20,000 Indonesian children estimated to have HIV

There are about 70,000 new HIV infections in Indonesia each year, and it is estimated about 20,000 children have the virus.

Most of them will die before they are five years old.

"One of the biggest challenges we face here in Indonesia is stigma and discrimination," David Bridger, from UNAIDS, said.

"It's pervasive and it affects all of the good progress that's being made in terms of combating HIV.

"Although we may have a lot of the policies and set correctly at the national level, the trickle down to the district and provincial level is still a big challenge."

In Solo, the ABC spoke to some of those who had rejected the orphans.

Indonesian orphan, Icha, 3, was born with HIV. ( ABC News: Adam Harvey )

"Most of the people are scared they will get infected because the houses here are so close together," Iskak Sudibyo said.

"The children here would have to mingle with them, so when they play, they would play together."

Neighbourhood head Awud Basbul said the orphans' plight was "the problem of the government, not the problem of the people".

"The government should be responsible to provide facilities for them."

The nine orphans cared for by Lentera receive some subsidised medical treatment. They are on basic antiretroviral therapies which can stop them developing AIDS — in the short-term.

Prasetyo said the immediate problem was finding a permanent home for children.

"These innocent children — they were born and got infected by the virus what can they do?" Prasetyo said.

"And the government hasn't touched this issue. There's no specific program aimed at HIV positive children."