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Langkat caging violated human rights: Komnas HAM
“We found that there had been slavery-like practices that indicated that the victims had no power or control over themselves,” Komnas HAM Commissioner Choirul Anam said in a press conference on Wednesday.
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A journalist films one of the iron-barred cells at the house of graft suspect and inactive Langkat regent Terbit Rencana Parangin Angin in North Sumatra in January. (Antara/Dadong Abhiseka)
T
he National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says multiple human rights violations were committed against the people who were allegedly caged and abused in iron-barred cells in the house of graft suspect and inactive Langkat regent Terbit Rencana Parangin Angin in North Sumatra.
The cages were discovered not long after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested the then-Langkat regent in mid-January for allegedly demanding kickbacks from private contractors in exchange for infrastructure projects.
The KPK and North Sumatra police found two iron-barred cages at Terbit’s house that held dozens of people and began a separate investigation into the matter.
Komnas HAM also launched its own probe after receiving reports that the people held in the cages had been tortured and forced to work.
According to the commission's report, Terbit had been keeping people in cages since 2010, claiming he was running a rehabilitation center for narcotics users.
“We found that there had been slavery-like practices that indicated that the victims had no power or control over themselves,” Komnas HAM Commissioner Choirul Anam said in a press conference on Wednesday.
The commission found that some 57 people were held in the two cells at the time of its discovery. Most were drug users, male and poor.
