Komnas HAM Reveals Human Confinement In Houses Published Plans Since 2010

Prison at Langkat Regent's house Issues War-Wind Plan/IST

JAKARTA - The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) revealed that the existence of a human cage in the house of the inactive Langkat Regent. The issuance of the Wind War Plan is nothing new. This place has been around for about 12 years.

"That is what we are currently investigating. (The cage, ed) was from 2010 to 12 years," Komnas HAM Commissioner Choirul Anam told reporters quoted on Tuesday, February 8.

In addition, Anam also said that the place was already known as a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. Neighbors in the vicinity of the location also agree with this.

"Everyone we asked, people who were close there, who were far away said it was a rehabilitation place, that's what they knew," he said.

"The documents we tracked were also a place of rehabilitation," Anam added.

Even so, Komnas HAM has found violence against the human cage. Not only that, the team that came to Langkat, North Sumatra to investigate further also found patterns of violence and the tools used.

"As we have said before, we found violence, forms of violence, patterns of violence, to the means of violence," said Anam.

"This includes the timing, including the loss of life. If last Saturday-Sunday there were more than one, now it's said to be three," he added. Regarding the existence of a human cage in his house for a long time, Terbit agreed. After being examined at the KPK building, he said that the place had existed for a long time since he had not been the Regent of Langkat.

"Yes, there have been (before becoming regent, ed)," he told reporters.

He claimed the place was not created to exploit residents, especially drug addicts. Terbit said, this place was made for the local community and at their request.

"Its nature helps the residents there. No (there are residents protesting, ed) this is a request from the community," he said.

For information, the existence of a human cage suspected of being a form of slavery at the house of the inactive Langkat Regent Terbit Angin Angin was revealed after the KPK came there to carry out a hand arrest operation (OTT).

Instead of finding Terbit, the KPK team found a number of people confined in an iron cage. At that time they claimed to be oil palm workers on the land belonging to Terbit Plan Warin Angin.

Subsequently, these findings were reported by Migrant Care to Komnas HAM. In their report, they stated that the occupants of the human cage received cruel behavior such as violence, irregular eating, unpaid work while working in the palm oil plantation owned by Terbit Plan Warin Angin and limited access to communication with outsiders.