UNAIR NEWS – The existence of a human jail-like facility in the private house of Langkat Regent, Terbit Rencana Perangin Angin, has attracted public attention, including UNAIR’s sociology professor. The phenomena that have been happening for the last ten years have just been unfolded after Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a search. The jail-like facility was under the guise of rehabilitation and involved violence and slavery.
Professor Bagong Suyanto MSi considers a human jail-like facility as a form of human rights violation. “If the pretext was for rehabilitation, do not treat them as a convicted defendant, but as a victim,” he stated.
The Nganjuk-born lecturer said that drug social rehabilitation aims to recover humans from the adverse effects of mental and social abuse. He also argued that victims of social rehabilitation of drugs should be treated by experts, not public officials.
“The fact that this jail-like facility existed is clearly wrong because it is not regent’s authority. If not done by the expert, sociologically, that’s a deviation,” explained Professor Bagong to UNAIR NEWS on February 7.
In this regard, any action or behavior contrary to applicable values and norms is considered a form of deviation.
“Locking up people in any facility is still inhumane. It violates freedom unless convicted by a guilty plea,” he added.
Reported by Tempo, other than the jail-like facility, KPK also found slavery done by Langkat Regent to the victims to work at his palm oil plantation. Victims were also often experienced torture with bleeding and bruising on their bodies.
Although some claimed that some victims jailed got permission from their families, the sociology professor considered that this permission could have been given because the family has been subordinated with power and did not dare to reveal this issue.
“Jail-like activity such as this can damage socially to the victims, such as trauma and stigma,” expressed Professor Bagong.
Author: Viradyah Lulut Santosa
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
