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None of those with psychosocial disabilities interviewed by Human Rights Watch who were living in institutions said that they were there voluntarily.At some institutions, Human Rights Watch documented cases where families had left fake phone numbers and addresses on admission forms in order to abandon the relative, in other cases they simply moved to a new home or failed to show up. Human Rights Watch found 65 cases of people arbitrarily detained in mental hospitals, social care institutions, and NGO-run or traditional or religious centers. The Mental Health Act (2014) allows a family member or guardian to admit a child or an adult with a psychosocial disability without their consent to a mental health or a social care institution, and without any judicial review. The few facilities and services that exist often do not respect the basic rights of people with psychosocial disabilities and contribute to the abuses against them.Under Indonesian law it is relatively easy to involuntarily admit a person with a psychosocial disability to an institution. In all of Indonesia there are just 600 to 800 psychiatrists-or one trained psychiatrist per 300,000 to 400,000 people. Eight provinces have no such hospitals, and three have no psychiatrists. The country of 250 million people has only 48 mental hospitals, more than half of them located in just four provinces of Indonesia’s 34 provinces. Ministry of Health data shows that nearly 90 percent of those who may want to access mental health services cannot. As a result, families typically first consult faith or traditional healers and often only seek medical advice as a last resort.Even if they do look for access to medication, however, people may find it impossible to access it. ShareAcross Indonesia, there is a widespread belief that mental health conditions are the result of possession by evil spirits or the devil, having sinned, displayed immoral behavior, or lacking faith. The government has launched many programs and initiatives to promote mental health and put an end to pasung, including a program called “Indonesia Free from Pasung 2014.” However, due to the lack of understanding and awareness around mental health and the dearth of community-based voluntary services, the practice continues.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health has recognized pasung as an “inhuman” and “discriminatory” treatment of persons with mental health conditions. The longest case of pasung that Human Rights Watch documented was a woman who was locked in a room for nearly 15 years.