Indonesia: Mentally Ill Chained and Locked Up in Filthy Cells
Indonesia is known for its place in the world's top 20 economic GP ratios, it has recently been criticized for its treatment of people who are mentally ill as a new report states that there are thousands of patients locked up and chained in filthy environments.
According to CNN, Indonesia practices pasung, wherein people with mental issues are shackled and confined in filthy areas as they are believed to have been possessed with evil spirits.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday that over 57,000 people in the country who have either been diagnosed with psychosocial issues or are perceived to be mentally ill have once in their lives been chained or locked up, away from the rest of the world and unable to receive treatment.
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Kriti Sharma, a researcher for HRW who came up with the report shared the story of Engkos Kosasih, who allowed his daughter to live in isolation for more than a decade. According to Sharma's report, Kosasih locked up his 50-year-old daughter in a confined space in the house because of his belief that his daughter may be suffering from an evil spell.
Kosasih defended his actions by telling the tale of his daughter dug up the crops of his neighbors and was destructive. She had been eating raw corn and to keep her from possibly being a nuisance to others, Kosasih locked her up in a room where she slept on the cold floor and ate twice a day without having anyone clean up whatever mess she made.
The government has reportedly tried to educate its people regarding mental health problems but many still believe that mental illness is linked to evil spirits, leaving many patients still locked up and living in filth.
Pasung has been illegal in the country for nearly 40 years but rural areas make the practice rampant as health services are limited and trained medical providers are inadequate.
"People are routinely forced to sleep, eat, urinate, and defecate in the same space," Sharma said, adding that "The few facilities and services that do exist often do not respect the basic human rights of people with psychosocial disabilities and greatly contribute to the abuses against them."
The South China Morning Post also shared the story of Sulaiman, who stays in a small faith healing center in the town of Brebes in Java. Since most families could not afford health services, the mentally ill relatives resort to faith healing and Sulaiman is only of the many patients kept in dark rooms with chains wrapped around their ankles.
The faith-based center said the staff don't have any other choice but to keep the patients in shackles as it is "for safety reasons."
About 18,000 people in Indonesia remain chained or locked up as the HRW continues to fight practices that stand against the rights of people with mental health problems.
