Responding to the Research of Thousands of Indonesian Nationals with Disabilities Who Experience Violence, the Ministry of Social Affairs Requests the Regional Government to Monitor Social Institutions

JAKARTA - Social Minister (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf asked all regional governments (Pemda) to closely monitor all social welfare institutions (LKS) in their areas to prevent irregularities and violations.

"This is also a call to all regional heads to really provide good, strict supervision to all social welfare institutions," said the man who is familiarly called Gus Ipul to reporters after attending a meeting with the Healthy Soul Association at the Ministry of Social Affairs Office, Jakarta, Friday, quoted by Antara.

The strict supervision, Gus Ipul continued, is also useful to ensure that every social welfare institution, such as social homes, operates in accordance with the standards set by the government.

He said this in response to a report from the Healthy Soul Association regarding alleged violence experienced by dozens to tens of thousands of mentally disabled people in social welfare institutions.

Previously, in a meeting at the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Chairperson of the Healthy Soul Association, Yeni Rosa Damayanti, said that based on research conducted on dozens of social institutions, it was found that people with mental disabilities were treated as if they were not human.

"For a long time, people with mental disabilities have been considered not human beings," he said.

One of the victims named Bejo who was present at the meeting also gave his testimony while living in a social welfare institution in Kebumen, Central Java.

Bejo said he had lived in a social welfare home for five months with his feet chained with a chain 1.5 meters long. Bejo also said that he only bathed once a month. In addition, he also admitted that he was not allowed to pray.

Then, regarding eating, Bejo said he often felt hungry because he was given food twice a day.

"(Eat as much) twice. I don't eat in the afternoon, just in the morning and evening. The food is cassava and rice in the morning. At night, sometimes kangkung," he said.

In addition to Bejo, there was also a confession from Hibat, a survivor of a mentally disabled person who had stayed in one of the social welfare institutions in Serang, Banten. Hibat admitted that he had eaten rice that was processed from almost rotten rice.

In line with the testimony, Yeni hopes that the Ministry of Social Affairs under the leadership of Gus Ipul can solve the problem of violence.